December 5, 2012

Vanguard Target Retirement 2035 Fund (VTTHX)

Vanguard Target Retirement 2035 Fund (VTTHX) is a target date 2031-2035 mutual fund. This balanced fund invests in stocks, bonds, and cash.

Vanguard Target Retirement 2035 Inv (VTTHX)

The Vanguard Target Retirement 2035 fund objective is to provide capital appreciation and current income according to its current asset allocation. The mutual fund mainly invests in other Vanguard mutual funds. It uses an asset allocation strategy designed for investors planning to retire and leave the work force in or within a few years of 2035 (the target year). Its asset allocation will become more conservative over time. This means that the assets allocated to stocks will decrease while the assets allocated to bonds and other fixed income investments will increase.

Fund Details
    Vanguard Target Retirement 2035 Fund - VTTHX | Target Date Mutual Fund
  • Fund Inception Date: Oct 26, 2003
  • Ticker Symbol: VTTHX
  • CUSIP: 92202E508
  • Beta (3yr): 1.48
  • Rank in category (YTD): 32%
  • Category: Target Date 2031-2035
  • Yield: 2.03%
  • Capital Gains: 0%
  • Expense Ratio: 0.00%
  • Net Assets: $ 13.76 billion
  • Number of Years Up: 6 years
  • Number of Years Down: 2 years
  • Average Duration:  5.11 years (bond portion)
  • Average Maturity:  7.10 years (bond portion)
  • Annual Turnover Rate: 18%
Updated on 12/5/2012

December 3, 2012

Top Performer Small Growth Stock Mutual Funds 2012

The top performer small growth stock mutual funds 2012 are Buffalo Micro Cap fund, ASTON Small Cap Growth fund, PNC Small Cap etc.

Top Performer Small Growth Stock Mutual Funds Best Performer Small Growth Mutual Funds

Small growth mutual fund invests mainly in fast growing small company in United States. The market capitalization is usually lower than $300 million. The fund favors companies in up and coming fields or young corporates on their early growth stages. These small cap stock mutual funds are typically very volatile than large cap stock mutual funds. They do provide higher chances for capital growth as well.

These top performer small growth mutual funds are sorted based on its performance in 2012. You can find the fund review information such as expense ratio, turnover rate, yield, performance, management, etc.

The 10 Top performer small growth mutual funds 2012 are:
  1. Buffalo Micro Cap (BUFOX)
  2. ASTON Small Cap Growth N (ACWDX)
  3. Federated Kaufmann Small Cap A (FKASX)
  4. PNC Small Cap A (PPCAX)
  5. Wasatch Micro Cap Value (WAMVX)
  6. MFS New Discovery A (MNDAX)
  7. PNC Multi Factor Small Cap Core A (PLOAX)
  8. Invesco Small Cap Growth Investor (GTSIX)
  9. Oppenheimer Discovery A (OPOCX)
  10. Wanger USA (WUSAX)
Updated on 12/2/2012

December 2, 2012

MainStay Convertible Fund (MCINX)

MainStay Convertible Fund (Ticker: MCINX) is a balanced mutual fund. This fund focuses on convertible securities including bonds, corporate notes, and preferred stocks.

MainStay Convertible Investor (MCINX)

The investment objective of MainStay Convertible fund is to provide capital appreciation and current income. The fund utilizes its assets to purchase convertible securities such as bonds, debentures, corporate notes, and preferred stocks or other securities. It may also invest in non-convertible debt, dividend equity stocks, U.S. government securities, and cash.

Fund Profile
    MainStay Convertible Fund - MCINX | Mutual Fund Review
  • Fund Inception Date: February 28, 2008
  • Ticker Symbol: MCINX
  • CUSIP: 56062X526
  • Beta (3yr): 1.32
  • Rank in category (YTD): 70%
  • Category: Convertibles
  • Distribution: 1.85%
  • Capital Gains: 0%
  • Expense Ratio: 1.19%
  • Net Assets: $ 710.07 million
  • Number of Years Up: 2 years
  • Number of Years Down: 1 year
  • Effective Duration: 4.2 years
  • Annual Turnover Rate: 80%
Updated on 12/2/2012

November 30, 2012

Vanguard Small Cap Value Index Fund (VISVX) Investor Shares

Vanguard Small Cap Value Index Fund (VISVX) is a US stock mutual fund. It focuses its assets mainly in undervalued small U.S. companies.

Vanguard Small Cap Value Index Fund (Ticker: VISVX)

The Vanguard Small Cap Value Index Fund objective is to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of small-capitalization value stocks. The mutual fund is tracking its benchmark, the MSCI US Small Cap Value Index. This index is a broadly diversified index of value stocks of smaller U.S. companies.

Vanguard Small Cap Value Index Fund
Fund Profile
  • Fund Inception Date: 05/20/1998
  • Ticker Symbol: VISVX
  • CUSIP: 922908793
  • Beta (3yr): 1.22
  • Rank in category (YTD): 23%
  • Category: Small Value
  • Distribution: 1.85%
  • Capital Gains: 0%
  • Expense Ratio: 0.24%
  • Net Assets: $ 7.24 billion
  • Number of Years Up: 9 years
  • Number of Years Down: 4 years
  • Annual Turnover Rate: 30%
Updated on 11/29/2012

November 28, 2012

Thornburg International Value Fund (TGVAX)

Thornburg International Value Fund (TGVAX) is a foreign large growth mutual fund. It invests in non-U.S. companies.

Thornburg International Value A (TGVAX)

The investment aim of Thornburg International Value fund is to seek long-term capital appreciation and current income. The mutual fund utilizes its assets to invest in foreign stocks or depository receipts of foreign securities. It invests in promising companies, and may invest in stocks that reflect unfavorable market perceptions of the company or industry fundamentals. The stock mutual fund typically invests in publicly traded large and middle capitalization companies, but it may invest in any company size.

Fund Details
    Thornburg International Value Fund
  • Fund Inception Date: May 28, 1998
  • Ticker Symbol: TGVAX
  • CUSIP: 885-215-657
  • Beta (3yr): 0.89
  • Rank in category (YTD): 80%
  • Category: Foreign Large Growth
  • Yield: 1.16%
  • Capital Gains: 0%
  • Expense Ratio: 1.25%
  • Net Assets: $ 26.48 billion
  • Number of Years Up: 8 years
  • Number of Years Down: 5 years
  • Annual Turnover Rate: 20.78%
Updated on 11/28/2012

November 26, 2012

Perkins Mid Cap Value Fund (JDPAX)

Perkins Mid Cap Value fund (JDPAX) is a domestic stock mutual fund. This popular equity fund invests in middle sized companies. The fund review can be found in this article.

Perkins Mid Cap Value A (Ticker: JDPAX)

The investment objective of Perkins Mid Cap Value fund is to provide capital growth. The mutual fund mainly invests in the common stocks of undervalued mid-sized companies. It invests its net assets in equity securities of companies whose market capitalization falls, at the time of purchase, within the 12-month average of the capitalization range of the Russell Midcap Value Index. It may also invest in foreign equity and debt securities, including investments in emerging markets.

Fund Details
    Perkins Mid Cap Value fund
  • Fund Inception Date: July 5, 2009
  • Ticker Symbol: JDPAX
  • CUSIP: 47103C266
  • Beta (3yr): 0.92
  • Rank in category (YTD): 90%
  • Category: Mid-Cap Value
  • Distribution: 0.54%
  • Capital Gains: 0%
  • Expense Ratio: 1.02%
  • Net Assets: $ 12.52 billion
  • Number of Years Up: 1 year
  • Number of Years Down: 1 year
  • Annual Turnover Rate: 54%
Updated on 11/25/2012

November 24, 2012

T. Rowe Price Equity Index 500 Fund (PREIX)

T. Rowe Price Equity Index 500 Fund (PREIX) is a large blend mutual fund. This fund is tracking the performance of Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index.

T. Rowe Price Equity Index 500 (Ticker: PREIX)

The T. Rowe Price Equity Index 500 fund objective is seeking to match the performance of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index. It utilizes its assets to purchase all of the stocks in the S&P 500 Index. It attempts to maintain holdings of each stock in proportion to its weight in the index. Under normal conditions, the mutual fund will invest >80% of its net assets in stocks that are held in its benchmark index.

Fund Profile
    T. Rowe Price Equity Index 500 Fund
  • Fund Inception Date: March 29, 1990
  • Ticker Symbol: PREIX
  • CUSIP: 779552108
  • Beta (3yr): 1.00
  • Rank in category (YTD): 27%
  • Category: Large Blend
  • Distribution: 1.76%
  • Capital Gains: 0%
  • Expense Ratio: 0.30%
  • Net Assets: $ 14.66 billion
  • Number of Years Up: 17 years
  • Number of Years Down: 4 years
  • Annual Turnover Rate: 5.50%
Updated on 11/24/2012

The Importance of Diversification in Investing

Diversification is a key principle in investing, and it's especially important in today's uncertain economic climate. By spreading y...