T. Rowe Price Mid-Cap Growth Fund (RPMGX)

T. Rowe Price Mid-Cap Growth Fund is a no load domestic stock mutual fund. This mid cap growth equity fund focuses its assets in mid-cap companies with faster growth rate. The following is the fund review.

T. Rowe Price Mid-Cap Growth (Ticker: RPMGX)

The investment aim of T. Rowe Price Mid-Cap Growth fund is to provide long-term capital appreciation. This fund utilizes its net assets to purchase a diversified portfolio of common stocks of mid-cap companies with a faster rate earning. It uses the S&P MidCap 400 Index or the Russell Midcap Growth Index as its benchmark.

Fund Profile

• Fund Inception Date: June 29, 1992
• Ticker Symbol: RPMGX
• CUSIP: 779556109
• Beta (3yr): 1.09
• Rank in category (YTD): 67%
• Category: Mid-Cap Growth
• Distribution Rate: 0.00%
• Capital Gains: 0%
• Expense Ratio: 0.80%
• Net Assets: $ 19.31 billion
• Number of Years Up: 15 years
• Number of Years Down: 4 years
• Annual Turnover Rate: 30.60%

updated on 7/19/2012

YTD Top Performer Convertible Securities CEFs July 15 2012

The YTD top performer convertible securities closed end funds up to July 15, 2012 are AGIC Convertible & Income, Calamos Convertible & High Income, Putnam High Income Secs, etc.

Top Convertible Securities CEFs

Best Performing CEFs

These best performing convertible securities CEFs may provide opportunity to investors. Convertible bonds offer investor to the opportunity to convert a bond into the company’s stock. These convertible funds carry potential risks and advantages similar to bonds.

Like stock, the closed end fund can be bought from stock market like NYSE, NASDAQ, AMEX, etc. You can choose your brokerage to purchase these closed-end funds.

The YTD top performer convertible securities closed end funds up to July 15, 2012 are

1. AGIC Convertible & Income (NCV)
2. AGIC Convertible & Income II (NCZ)
3. Calamos Convertible & High Income (CHY)
4. Gabelli Convertible & Income Securities (GCV)
5. Putnam High Income Securities (PCF)
6. AGIC Equity & Convertible Income (NIE)
7. Advent Claymore Convertible Securities (AVK)
8. Ellsworth Fund Ltd (ECF)

updated on 7/15/2012

TCW Emerging Markets Income N (TGINX) Fund

TCW Emerging Markets Income fund is another best bond mutual fund. This emerging markets bond fund invests in emerging markets countries: Brazil, Mexico, Russia, China, Peru, Venezuela, UAE, Indonesia, India, etc.

TCW Emerging Markets Income N (Ticker: TGINX)

The TCW Emerging Markets Income fund objective is to achieve high total return from current income and capital appreciation. This fund focuses its investment in bond offered by companies, financial institutions and government entities in Emerging Market Countries. It may invest in high yield, unrated, and defaulted corporate securities.

TGINX fund

Fund Profile

• Fund Inception Date: March 1, 2004
• Ticker Symbol: TGINX
• CUSIP: 87234N-351
• Beta (3yr): 0.16
• Rank in category (YTD): 31%
• Category: Emerging Markets Bond
• Distribution: 6.43%
• Capital Gains: 0%
• Expense Ratio: 1.15%
• Net Assets: $ 3.41 billion
• Number of Years Up: 6 years
• Number of Years Down: 1 year
• Annual Turnover Rate: 137.87%

updated on 7/15/2012

YTD Top Performer Municipal Bond ETFs July 15 2012

YTD Top Performer Municipal Bond ETFs up to July 15, 2012 are Market Vectors High Yield Municipal Index ETF, SPDR Nuveen S&P High Yield Municipal Bond ETF, etc.

Best Performing Muni Bond ETFs

These best performing municipal bond exchange traded funds can be categorized into various classes such as short term muni bond, intermediate term muni bond, long term municipal bond, high yield municipal bond, etc. These funds provide income exempt from federal tax rate and possibly state tax.

The muni bond ETFs have expense ratio ranging from 0.16% to 1.43%. The fund providers are Columbia, Invesco PowerShares, iShares, PIMCO, State Street, and Van Eck.

Top Performer ETFs

YTD Top Performer Municipal Bond ETFs up to July 15 2012 are

1. Market Vectors High Yield Municipal Index ETF (HYD)
2. SPDR Nuveen S&P High Yield Municipal Bond ETF (HYMB)
3. Market Vectors CEF Municipal Income ETF (XMPT)
4. Market Vectors-Lehman Brothers AMT-Free Long Municipal Index ETF (MLN)
5. PowerShares Insured National Municipal Bond Portfolio (PZA)
6. Market Vectors Intermediate Municipal Index ETF (ITM)
7. Grail McDonnell Intermediate Municipal Bond ETF (GMMB)
8. SPDR Nuveen Barclays Capital Municipal Bond ETF (TFI)
9. iShares S&P National Municipal Bond Fund (MUB)
10. PIMCO Intermediate Municipal Bond Strategy Fund (MUNI)

updated on 7/15/2012

Best PIMCO Mutual Funds 2012

This post is about the best PIMCO mutual funds of 2012 including bond, stock and balanced funds. The top funds are PIMCO Total Return, PIMCO High Yield Fund, PIMCO Emerging Markets Bond, etc.

Intro

PIMCO is one of the popular mutual fund families. It provides a wide selection of mutual funds across all asset classes. Investors can choose different fund to achieve a portfolio diversification. These funds may provide high yield income, capital appreciation, and capital preservation. Bill Gross and Mohamed El Erian are the co-CIO of the PIMCO (Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC). PIMCO Investment is a unit of Allianz Global Investors.

Top PIMCO Mutual Funds

These top mutual funds are selected based on its long term track record. They may include diversified bond fund, high yield bond, emerging markets bond, balanced fund, commodities fund, etc. You can find the fund review from this post.

Note: This list provides Class A fund which may have a sales load. You can try to invest in Class D or Institutional Class which doesn’t charge a sales load.

Best PIMCO Mutual Funds of 2012 are

1. PIMCO Total Return A (PTTAX)
2. PIMCO Emerging Markets Bond A (PAEMX)
3. PIMCO High Yield Fund A (PHDAX)
4. PIMCO Real Return A (PRTNX)
5. PIMCO All Asset A (PASAX)
6. PIMCO Commodity Real Return Strategy A (PCRAX)
7. PIMCO Fundamental IndexPLUS TR Fund A (PIXAX)
8. PIMCO International StocksPLUS TR Str A (PPUAX)
9. PIMCO Convertible Fund A (PACNX)
10. PIMCO RealRetirement Income and Distribution Fund A (PTNAX)

Updated on 7/14/2012

Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Fund (VGPMX) Investor Shares

Precious metals such as Gold and Silver have become an important portfolio asset for investors. Owning these precious metals directly does involve significant work for retail investors. Using mutual funds, investors can achieve the same investment goal. One of the popular precious metals mutual funds is Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Inv.

Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining Investor (VGPMX)

Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining

The Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining fund objective is to provide long-term capital appreciation through investment in the stocks of foreign and U.S. companies of metals or minerals. These precious metals companies may involve in the exploration, mining, development, fabrication, processing, marketing, or distribution. The majority of these companies will be mainly involved in activities related to gold, silver, platinum, diamonds, and rare metals or minerals.

Fund Details

• Fund Inception Date: May 23, 1984
• Ticker Symbol: VGPMX
• CUSIP: 921908208
• Beta (3yr): 126.08
• Rank in category (YTD): 2%
• Category: Equity Precious Metals
• Yield: 0.53%
• Capital Gains: 0%
• Expense Ratio: 0.27%  
• Net Assets: $ 4.37 billion
• Number of Years Up: 15 years
• Number of Years Down: 12 years

YTD Top Performer Municipal Bond Closed End Funds July 10, 2012

YTD Top Performer Municipal Bond Closed End Funds up to July 10, 2012 are PIMCO CA Muni Income, PIMCO Municipal Income II, MFS Investment Grade Municipal Trust, etc.

Best Performing Municipal Bond CEFs

In 2012, municipal bond funds have a good year to date performance. These top performer muni bond CEFs are classified into various categories such as diversified national municipal bond, high yield muni, California municipal bond, Ohio municipal debt, etc. Most of these top performers are highly leveraged.

YTD Top Performer Municipal Bond Closed End Funds up to July 10, 2012 are

1. PIMCO CA Muni Income (PCQ)
2. PIMCO CA Muni Income III (PZC)
3. Eaton Vance OH Muni Bond (EIO)
4. PIMCO Muni Income II (PML)
5. PIMCO Muni Income III (PMX)
6. Nuveen NJ Div Adv Muni 2 (NUJ)
7. MFS Inv Gr Muni Tr (CXH)
8. Alliance CA Muni Inc (AKP)
9. PIMCO NY Muni Income II (PNI)
10. Pimco CA Muni Income II (PCK)

updated on 7/11/2012