2017 RANKING & REVIEWS
TOP RANKING BEST PERFORMING MUTUAL FUNDS
2017 Guide: Finding the Top Performing Mutual Funds to Invest in
For the average investor, a top performing mutual fund may be the ideal investment.
A mutual fund offers the opportunity for immediate diversification, bypassing years of research and effort to build a profitable portfolio.
They require little money upfront, and regular contributions may be as low as $50 a month. Mutual funds also require very little maintenance, as decisions are made by portfolio managers and researchers, not investors.
While mutual funds are certainly worthwhile, it’s important to find the best performing mutual funds to make your investments as productive as possible.
Award Emblem: Best Performing Mutual Funds
For investors looking ahead to 2017, we have gathered a comprehensive list of the best performing funds to consider investing in. These top performing investment funds have demonstrated worth and profitability over the past few years and will continue to do so into the new year.
Although there is no guarantee that top performing mutual funds will continue to be profitable, past performance is an indicator of good management and sensible investing through a fluctuating market.
As such, our research includes looking at some of the best performing mutual funds in the last 10 years to create our list of the best performing mutual funds.
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AdvisoryHQ’s List of the Top 6 Best Performing Mutual Funds
List is sorted alphabetically (click any of the mutual fund names below to go directly to the detailed review section for that mutual fund):
- AMG Emerging Opportunities Fund
- Fidelity® 500 Index Fund
- Fidelity® Select Retailing Portfolio
- Janus Global Select Fund
- T. Rowe Price Global Technology Fund
- Vanguard Wellesley Income Fund
Top 6 Best Performing Funds | Brief Comparison & Ranking
Best | Estimated Risk (Compared to Accepted Averages) | Gross Expense | Net |
| AMG Emerging Opportunities Fund | Above average | 1.51% | 1.43% |
| Fidelity® 500 Index Fund | Low | 0.09% | 0.09% |
| Fidelity® Select Retailing Portfolio | Above average | 0.81% | 0.81% |
| Janus Global Select Fund | Low | 0.92% | 0.92% |
| T. Rowe Price Global Technology Fund | High | 0.74% | 0.91% |
| Vanguard Wellesley Income Fund | Average | 0.23% | 0.23% |
Table: Top 6 Best Performing Mutual Funds | Above list is sorted alphabetically
The Basics: What Is a Mutual Fund?
If you are new to investing, understanding the basics of a mutual fund will not only help you understand why these investments are beneficial, but it can aid in identifying the top performing mutual funds.
Mutual Fund
A mutual fund is an investment strategy that involves pooling money together to invest in various stocks, bonds, or other financial securities. The resulting portfolio is a conglomerate of investments that may be potentially spread across an array of different sources.
Looking for the best performing mutual funds will also mean leveraging affordability. Each mutual fund comes at a different price, determined by the overall value of the portfolio and any outstanding shares.
Portfolio Manager
One reason why the best performing funds are so desirable is that they require very little maintenance on the investor’s part. Investors don’t need to research for new additions to the portfolio, track financial growth, or decide when to sell and buy.
All of these responsibilities fall upon the portfolio manager, typically supported by a research team. This is why top performing mutual funds are also called top performing managed funds.
The job of a portfolio manager is to seek out investment opportunities to help each fund become the highest performing mutual fund possible.
Benefits
For investors, avoiding the legwork of researching, creating, and monitoring financial investments is a huge plus. In essence, with good management and research, top performing funds can yield great results without investors having to lift a finger.
Another great benefit to finding top performing managed funds is that investments are both convenient and liquid. Investors can buy or sell their fund shares as they see fit.
Of course, a top performing mutual fund tends to retain investors. Still, the ability to buy, sell, and add additional investments increases the value of the best performing mutual funds.
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How to Choose the Best Performing Mutual Funds
Investing in the best performing mutual funds involves much more than simply finding the highest performing mutual fund this year.
The top performing managed funds should be looked at with affordability, personal preferences, and investment management style in mind.
When evaluating the best performing funds, there are a few expert tips to finding the best performing mutual fund for your investment:
- Do your researchEach top performing mutual fund comes with its own portfolio manager, with different management styles and areas of focus.Has the portfolio management team demonstrated success in the past through varying economic conditions? What types of stocks or bonds does the fund hold?Answering these questions will go a long way in finding the best performing mutual fund for your investment.
- Consider the costAs mentioned before, finding the best performing mutual funds also means examining affordability. Certain fees should be closely evaluated, including management fees and transaction fees.Top performing mutual funds should provide worthwhile returns compared to the cost of investing, though that worth will be different for each investor.
- Keep size in mindMutual funds tend to work within three different investment sizes: small-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap. For top performing mutual funds to stay productive over time, size matters.If a small-cap or a mid-cap mutual fund grows tooquickly, or adds investments that are too large, the fund may become difficult to manage. This decreases overall efficiency, and top performing investment funds may be closed as a result.
Finding the best performing mutual funds involves a comprehensive look into why the investment is a top performing mutual fund, and whether that success can be sustained.
Investors should be prepared to take charge and make sure that the best performing funds are well-researched before committing.
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Detailed Review – Top Ranking Best Performing Funds
Below, please find a detailed review of each product on our list of high performing mutual funds. We have highlighted some of the factors that allowed these top performing mutual funds to score so highly in our selection ranking.
AMG Emerging Opportunities Fund Review
The Emerging Opportunities Fund has been one of the best performing mutual funds in the last 10 years, and it is projected to continue to grow in 2017.
This best performing mutual fund focuses on micro-cap companies, investing for small growth over time. In fact, 80% of assets are placed within the smallest 3% of companies listed on the stock market.
What makes this into a highest performing mutual fund is that it focuses on long-term, steady growth. With guidance and expertise from multiple mutual fund managers, investors also gain exposure to smaller, high-performing companies that may be missed through traditional investing.
Looking ahead into 2017, fund management has agreed to minimize operating expenses through March 1. Lower expenses mean potentially higher returns for investors, making it likely that this will continue to be listed among high performing mutual funds.
For those who are looking for affordable investments to grow their money over longer periods of time, the Emerging Opportunities Fund from AMG is one of the best performing mutual funds to consider.
Photo courtesy of: AMG
Brief Fund Overview
- Minimum initial investment: $2,000
- Increase in value: 718% over 10 years
- Investments include: Internet software & services, banks, healthcare equipment & supplies, biotechnology, etc.
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Fidelity® 500 Index Fund Review
As one of the best performing mutual funds on our list, the Fidelity® 500 Index Fund is also one of the simplest mutual funds to invest in.
Rather than focus on a specific industry, investments are based on the S&P 500 Index. Each of the 500 companies on this list contribute 80% market value of all U.S. stocks.
Because this top-performing mutual fund focuses solely on top-rated stocks, operational costs are much lower. In fact, at 0.09%, the expense ratio is one of the lowest we have seen. Portfolio managers cost less money, meaning that investors see increased returns.
Part of what has propelled the Fidelity® 500 Index Fund into a highest performing mutual fund is a clear focus on reliable and successful investments. Minimum investments are high, but dependability will often outweigh the cost for those looking for top-performing mutual funds.
It certainly helps that Fidelity is a well-trusted and recognized name in the financial world. In fact, they have won six awards in 2016 alone for excellence in stock brokerage.
For investors who prefer to stick with big-name corporations — like Berkshire Hathaway and Exon Mobil — this is certainly among the top-performing mutual funds to consider.
Brief Fund Overview
- Minimum initial investment: $2, 500
- Average annual returns: 9.94%
- Investments include: Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp, Amazon.com Inc., Facebook Inc., General Electric Company, etc.
Fidelity® Select Retailing Portfolio Review
Those looking for the highest performing mutual fund this year may be surprised to see a collection of retail investments.
While retail may have fluctuated over the past decade, the Fidelity® Select Retailing Portfolio has flourished, becoming one of the best performing funds overall.
Part of its success comes from a focus on e-commerce, online shopping, and video streaming. In fact, a full 37.6% of the portfolio focuses on Internet Direct Marketing Retail.
With high returns and low expenses, this is one of the best performing funds for short-term investment periods. The average annual five-year return is 19.33%, one of the highest rates we have seen thus far.
Investors looking for the top performing mutual funds can rest assured that the Fidelity® Select Retailing Portfolio is a secure choice. It is rated in the top 10% of retail-oriented mutual funds, making it one of the best performing funds overall.
Brief Fund Overview
- Minimum initial investment: $2,500
- Initial IRA investment: $2,500
- Investments included: Amazon.com Inc., Home Depot Inc., TJX Companies Inc., Netflix Inc., Priceline Group Inc., etc.
Janus Global Select Fund Review
With steady growth and diversification, the Janus Global Select Fund has a solid rating among high performing mutual funds.
The portfolio management strategy is based on flexibility and global outreach, spanning 40-70 countries. Janus puts a high premium on perspective and innovation between management and research teams, creating a dynamic approach.
Investors looking for the best performing funds with global outreach may find that the Janus Global Select Fund is a great match among top performing mutual funds. 49.7% of investments come from the U.S., while an approximate 47.9% come from emerging and non-emerging global markets.
Their four biggest international investments come from Europe, Asia, Japan, and Latin America.
Though listed as a higher risk, the average earnings per share is 10.8%, solidifying this product as one of the best performing mutual funds in the last 10 years.
Photo courtesy of: Janus
Brief Fund Overview
- Earnings growth rate: 0.45%
- Management fees: 0.64%
- Investments included: Financials, information technology, industrials, healthcare, energy, etc.
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T. Rowe Price Global Technology Fund Review
As a technology-based mutual fund, the T. Rowe Price Global Technology Fund was ranked by industry experts as one of the top five best performing funds to invest in.
This best performing mutual fund focuses on investing and generating revenue from technological development, advancement, and use. Thus, as much as 80% of assets are focused on technological industries.
For those looking for the best performing mutual funds with global impact, this is a great fund to consider. 31.2% of their investments are spread throughout nine different countries, including Japan, China, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Sweden.
If past performance is an indicator of intelligent investing and calculated management tactics, then the Global Technology Fund will continue to be successful. Investors searching for the highest performing mutual fund this year will be pleased to see that this mutual fund returned 29.39%.
With below average fees, this is one of the most affordable investment options on our list. Investors who prefer to support technology-based assets will find that this is one of the top performing investment funds for 2017.
Brief Fund Overview
- Minimum initial investment: $2,500
- Transaction & management fees: $0
- Investments included: Software, internet, semiconductors, IT services, media, etc.
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Vanguard Wellesley Income Fund Review
In total, 38.27% of investments are allocated to stocks, while a whopping 60.39% are sent to bonds. Over the past few years, bond allocation has remained close to treasuries and investment-grade corporate debt.
The heavy reliance on bonds makes the Wellesley Income Fund a prime choice for conservative investors who are looking for long-term mutual funds for retirement.
While the initial investment requirements are substantially higher, it’s worth noting that the expense ratio is 72% lower than competing mutual funds.
This long-term affordability makes the Wellesley Income Fund one of the best performing funds to consider in 2017.
Brief Fund Overview
- Minimum initial investment: $3,000
- Total stocks/bonds: 63/944
- Investments included: Microsoft Corp., Wells Fargo & Co., Pfizer Inc., Johnson& Johnson, etc.
Conclusion – Top 6 Best Performing Funds
With affordable investment requirements and hands-free operation, it’s no wonder that the top performing mutual funds are highly sought after.
When looking to diversify your investments, looking at the top performing funds is certainly a smart place to start. Choosing where to invest your hard-earned money is not a decision to be taken lightly, and it requires careful consideration and thought.
Even the top-performing mutual funds should be thoroughly analyzed on an individual basis to determine the best performing mutual funds.
Ultimately, the focal points, management style, and affordability of the best performing funds should align with personal investment interests to get the best possible results.
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