February 6, 2012

Gross’s Pimco Total Return fund drew $231M in January

The new money ended three straight months of redemptions for Total Return fund: Morningstar

• bonds / fixed income,
• mutual funds,
• Pacific Investment Management Company (Pimco)

February 6, 2012

Fairholme Fund back on top to start the year

By Jason Kephart

Sticking to his guns has paid off for Bruce Berkowitz so far in 2012, as his Fairholme Fund was up 17% in January

• Morningstar Inc.,
• mutual funds

February 6, 2012

This fund's dividend hunting ground is the Russell 3000

By Jeff Benjamin

Smaller but equally attractive dividend payers, often offering the additional boost of faster capital appreciation, can be found in the Russell 3000, said Paul Hogan, co-manager of the $175 million FAM Equity Income Fund.

• equities,
• mutual funds

February 5, 2012

Past performance may be a harbinger for future, after all

Despite decades of statements to the contrary, it turns out that past performance actually is a pretty good indicator of future mutual fund returns — provided that the performance is adjusted for risk. By measuring the volatility of mutual funds' average daily returns, some...

• mutual funds,
• technology

January 29, 2012

Role reversal? Pimco dons equities, Janus tries on bonds

By Jason Kephart

Two prominent mutual fund companies are hard at work moving beyond the specialties that made them well-known in the first place.

• Janus Capital Group,
• mutual funds,
• Pacific Investment Management Company (Pimco)

January 22, 2012

American Funds is the biggest loser in shift toward passive investments

By Jason Kephart

More than any other mutual fund company, American Funds is bearing the brunt of investors' latest infatuation with passive investing.

• American Funds Distributors,
• mutual funds

January 16, 2012

American's flagship fund sinks active management

Actively managed mutual funds recorded $8.6 billion in outflows last year; investors pulled whopping $33 billion from Growth Fund of America

• American Funds Distributors,
• mutual funds

January 15, 2012

Schwab plans to launch bundled 401(k)

By Dan Jamieson

In a move sure to drive the trend toward lower-cost 401(k) plans, The Charles Schwab Corp. plans to introduce a bundled 401(k) product that offers low-cost index funds. Called Index Advantage, the plan will offer 40 funds covering about 16 asset classes, said Mike Peterson, a Schwab ...

• 401(k),
• Charles Schwab & Co.,
• mutual funds

January 15, 2012

American plans wave of offerings

By Jason Kephart

Even as it continues to bleed assets, American Funds plans a major expansion of its mutual fund lineup for the first time in a decade. American Funds will launch eight funds of funds in May. The funds will include tax-exempt preservation, preservation, tax-advantaged income, income,...

• mutual funds

January 8, 2012

New funds add yield

By Jason Kephart

As 2011 wound down, Lee Munson saw an appropriate investment opportunity for many of his clients. But instead of drawing down their money market accounts, he tapped his clients' FDIC-insured bank deposits. Like many financial advisers and investors in recent...

• money market funds,
• mutual funds