U.S. Mutual Funds

Business Money
1

During the last few days, I have made an Excel chart comparing the returns (yields) of 60 different U.S. mutual funds. Today I uploaded the Excel chart to this website:

marknagel.com/mutual_funds.xls

If you are using IE, then you should be able to directly see my chart after you type in the URL. But if you are using Firefox, then you probably have to download it in order to see it.

I listed high yield funds from these mutual fund financial management firms:

T. Rowe Price
Vanguard
MFS Investment
Dreyfus

I have owned shares of funds from all of these companies except Dreyfus. I also included Dreyfus funds because I found out that a certain Dreyfus fund called the “Greater China Premier Fund” has had a return of 96% for the past year and an average annual return of 46% over the last three years! (You can see that fund in my chart, in the top line of the Dreyfus funds.)

All of the numbers in the chart are returns as percentages. I highlighted in blue the returns that are more than 30% for one year, 25% for three years, or 20% for five years.

Most of these funds don’t have any loads, but some of the T. Rowe Price funds have back-end loads if you sell your shares of the fund less than one year after you bought the shares. Also, some of the Dreyfus funds have front-end loads (also called “purchasing fees”) and/or back-end loads (also called “redemption fees”).

The order of the funds listed in the chart are in decreasing order of 3-year returns, for each of the mutual fund management firms. When I decided which funds to list in my chart, I only looked at the 3-year returns and 5-year returns because the 1-year returns don’t tell you much, since some funds can do great one year and terrible the next year.

I also have a column in my chart for the Morningstar Rating, but I haven’t gotten around to filling in the Morningstar Rating for most of the funds that I listed. (Morningstar rates mutual funds from one star to five stars, based on their performance and risk.)

If you think I should change anything in my chart, let me know.

By the way, it might be a little biased that I only listed U.S. mutual funds and I didn’t list any Taiwanese mutual funds or British mutual funds or mutual funds from any other country. That’s because I’m an American, so the U.S. financial management firms (i.e., the companies that manage the mutual funds) that I listed are the ones that I have the most experience dealing with. But if you know about any high-yield mutual funds from any other country, let me know and I’ll include them in my chart.

2

Thanks Mark…great information.

3

It’s a no-load fund, but with a 2% fee on the back end.

Normally that sucks, but as this is a speculative fund…why not?

Not great.but normal for the type.

4

Oberweis China Opportunities (OBCHX)

This one is newer and also doing well. Cheaper and no dividend…don’t know it’s load or fees though.

5

That’s a contradiction because if there is a 2% back-end load, then it’s not a no-load fund.

But as far as I can tell, there is actually no load at all for the Dreyfus Greater China Premier Fund, Class I.

The other classes have loads, but Class I doesn’t have any loads, as far as I can tell. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Mark

6

Because of the subprime loan crisis ,my REIT’s and ETF were down(badly) :s .
They are getting stable though.
How about those mutual funds in US now?
What does the subprime loan has anything to do with REIT’s?
They shouldn’t be the same thing ,should they?

7

Well, REITs do real estate. House are real estate.

8

REIT’s are investing some huge buildings for business on the best location.
I think those building owners should have enough capital and best credit .
Well, if those building owners really need subprime loans???

My REIT’s was really down too much becasue of subprime loan crisis. :frowning:
Thanks JD,please don’t think my question is strange. :stuck_out_tongue:

9

All you ex-military types should be looking at USAA. Consistently highly rated (and very good online bank)

10

It is an interesting chart. Of course it would look significantly different (ie., less impressive) today, since it was compiled on 7/31, just before the bottom fell out and weeks later we are continuing to fall with no end in sight. And, of course, past performance is no guarantee of future results (though I too like to examine past performance when evaluating potential purchases).

As for REITs, I haven’t read anything about them lately, but they seem like a lousy investment now that mortgage lenders are suffering so badly and housing prices are expected to decline for the next couple of years.

11

You think too much I think. :wink:

12

REITs are a hype, just like any other sector fund. They do well for a while and then the shit hits the fan …

13

:s
It is just in US or globe ?

14

Well in the US we have to wait for all those subprime mortages based on expanding ARM to go bust. Assuming the last of these mortgage were signed in 2007. In 2009, when the variable interest kicks in (because usually these types of loans are 2 year fixed interest), it should shake out all those vulnerable poor people who will default.

Of course that assuming the economy doesn’t gets better in other area, thereby allowing these people to afford their increasing monthly payments.

So expect to see a housing slump through 2009 - 2010. Once you get all the dead beats out of the market, maybe you’ll start seeing a rebound in housing prices.

15

[quote=“ac_dropout”]Well in the US we have to wait for all those subprime mortages based on expanding ARM to go bust. Assuming the last of these mortgage were signed in 2007. In 2009, when the variable interest kicks in (because usually these types of loans are 2 year fixed interest), it should shake out all those vulnerable poor people who will default.

Of course that assuming the economy doesn’t gets better in other area, thereby allowing these people to afford their increasing monthly payments.

So expect to see a housing slump through 2009 - 2010. Once you get all the dead beats out of the market, maybe you’ll start seeing a rebound in housing prices.[/quote]

ok so does that mean 2009-2010 would be the best time to get a house in the states? and invest in real estate like REITs and buy houses for investments, since houses will be at a pretty low prices at that time. I prolly will go to states and get a house right around that time!

few questions in morning stars’ rating, one of them is “lowest cost 5 star funds”, that means it’s like the cheapest fund u can buy and it’s rated highest? but doesn’t means it’s usually good?

I was going to purchase a mutual fund but the min purchase requirement was “closed” what does that mean?

any of you guys got vanguard.com account? my cousin says it’s really good I might check it out.

16

Do the Reits Funds get better now?

17

I would recommend waiting on housing.

For individual house purchasing, depends on which State, and local economy…but most experts believe that the low point in pricing will not be seen till late 2009 -early 2010.

Individual stocks for construction companies are upto a 50% discount from 2 years ago.

REIT are based on these stocks and rent roll from commerical property, so there was a buffer till earlier this year when most of them took a hit.

Right now the downward force in the real estate market is driven mostly be sentiment, in the middle and luxury markets. Commerical markets have a liquidity issue still, so loans are harder to get.

The cut in the interest rate is suppose to help residents and speculators that got the ARM.

It is still the wait and see period.

18

tw.money.yahoo.com/money_news//0 … 3rju1.html

If it were the REIT’s which invest in Asia.
Is it still the wait and see period?

19

side question, in the next 10 days or so will NTD climb up or down vs USD?

20

tw.stock.yahoo.com/news_content/ … /m567.html

You can check this out.
If NTD is up ,I don’t think it can last long term.