STATS: TOP-PERFORMING VARIABLE PRODUCTS, BY INVESTMENT STYLE
AGGRESSIVE GROWTH TOP 10 PRODUCT NAme 1-year* % 3-year* % manager name Alliance Gallery ActANY Alliance Prem Growth…
AGGRESSIVE GROWTH
TOP 10
PRODUCT NAme 1-year* % 3-year* % manager name
Alliance Gallery ActANY Alliance Prem Growth 37.41 31.66 American Int’l Life of NY
Evergreen Ultra Evergreen 35.24 N/A Nationwide Life & Annuity
Value Advantage + Alliance Prem Growth 33.26 N/A Fortis Benefits
Alliance Gallery ActI Alliance Prem Growth 32.00 31.74 AIG Life
Alliance Capital Alliance Prem Growth 31.99 31.58 American Skandia Life
Members Var Univ Life Cap Apprec 30.41 26.70 Century Life of America
Members Var Annuity Cap Apprec 29.77 26.06 Century Life of America
Flexible Var Annuity Aggressive Growth 29.16 32.46 Principal Mutual Life
Ensemble 2 Capital Growth 28.22 28.60 Chubb Life
Vintage Life Van Kampen Am Cap Entrpse 26.96 N/A Travelers
BOTTOM 5
Wallstreet 500 Aggressive Growth 0.24 N/A Fortis Benefits
Wallstreet 220 Aggressive Growth 0.24 N/A Fortis Benefits
Masters Var Annuity Aggressive Growth 0.06 10.83 Fortis Benefits
Oppenheimer Var Annuity Aggressive Growth 0.06 10.83 Fortis Benefits
Wallstreet Survivor Aggressive Growth 0.06 N/A Fortis Benefits
Mean 15.20 20.47
Alliance Premier Growth lived up to its first-place name, with four of the first five spots. Each, interestingly, had a different manager. Fortis-run offerings brought up the rear.
INTERNATIONAL STOCK
TOP 10
PRODUCT NAme 1-year* % 3-year* % manager name
Best of Am Flex Prem Var Univ Life Am Cent Int’l 18.63 N/A Nationwide Life
Best of Am Modified SPrm VarLife Am Cent Int’l 18.63 N/A Nationwide Life
JanusRtrmAdvt Janus Aspen Int’l Growth 17.74 24.32 Western Reserve Life
Best of Am Flex Prem Var Univ Life Am Cent Int’l 17.69 14.12 Nationwide Life
Advisers Select Am Sk Trust Putnam Int’l Eq 17.24 11.55 American Skandia Life
Advisers Choice Am Sk Trust Putnam Int’l Eq2 17.24 11.55 American Skandia Life
Advisers Design Am Sk Trust Putnam Int’l Eq2 17.24 11.55 American Skandia Life
Commonwealth V
irginia JA Int’l Growth 17.14 N/A Life of Virginia
Best of Am Special Value Am Cent Int’l 17.10 13.55 Nationwide Life
Best of Am IV Am Cent Int’l 17.09 13.54 Nationwide Life
BOTTOM 5
Valuemark III Templeton Pacific Growth -36.84 -9.67 Allianz Life
DeanWitter Var Annuity Pacific Growth -38.32 -12.74 Northbrook Life
DeanWitter Var Annuity 2 Stnd Pacific Growth -38.54 -13.05 Northbrook Life
DeanWitter Var Annuity 2 Enhncd Pacific Gro -38.62 N/A Northbrook Life
GT Global New Pacific -41.93 -9.62 General American Life
Mean -3.06 7.09
Nationwide was on your side here if you were one of the winners, managing half of the top 10. American Skandia took fourth, fifth and sixth places. General American was in the coal bin.
CORPORATE BOND DIVERSIFIED
TOP 10
PRODUCT NAme 1-year* % 3-year* % manager name
Pacific Corinthian VA Bond & Inc 14.93 14.15 Pacific Corinthian Life
Pacific Select Bond & Inc 14.88 N/A Pacific Mutual Life
Separate Account A Bond & Inc 14.71 N/A Pacific Mutual Life
Aetna Plus Aetna Legacy Var 13.08 N/A Aetna Life
Marathon Plus Aetna Legacy Var 12.90 N/A Aetna Life
VA C Federal Hi Inc 12.72 N/A Great American Reserve
Safeco Spinnaker Plus Hi Inc 12.41 N/A Safeco Life
Flexible Annuity In Advantage 12.29 N/A IDS Life
Trillium VA Inc 12.27 10.97 Canada Life of America
Safeco Spinnaker Hi Inc 12.26 N/A Safeco Life
BOTTOM 5
Sep Acct 2 Short Term 4.72 4.91 American Life of NY
Sep Acct No. 2 Short Term 4.72 4.91 Mutual of America Life
Sierra Advantage Short Term Hi Quality 4.32 4.70 American General Life
Equi-Select Advantage 4.26 5.49 Equitable Life of Iowa
ICAP 2 Target 98 3.73 6.23 Anchor National Life
Mean 8.53 9.56
Anchor National sank to the bottom with its ICAP 2 Target, a full 53 basis points behind the next finisher. Sector leader Pacific Corinthian was 6.4 percentage points above the mean.
EQuity INCOME
TOP 10
PRODUCT NAme 1-year* % 3-year* %
manager name
Overture Applause! Alger Am Inc & Growth 35.08 28.95 Ameritas Var Life
Overture SP Var Univ Life Alger Am Inc & Gro 34.67 28.56 Ameritas Var Life
Overture 2 Alger Am Inc & Growth 34.61 28.50 Ameritas Var Life
Overture 3 Alger Am Inc & Growth 34.61 28.50 Ameritas Var Life
Overture 3 + Alger Am Inc& Growth 34.40 N/A Ameritas Var Life
Marathon + Alger Am Inc & Growth 34.38 N/A Aetna Life & Annuity
Vanguard Eq Inc 33.78 29.70 Providian Life & Health
PioneerVision-NY Eq Inc 33.38 N/A First Allmerica Fin Life
Low-Load Var Univ Life Vanguard Eq Inc 33.38 N/A Ameritas Var Life
PioneerVision Eq Inc 33.37 N/A Allmerica Financial
BOTTOM 5
USA Plan (Q) Northstar Inc & Growth 14.30 N/A ReliaStar Bankers Sec Life
USA Plan (NQ) NS Inc & Growth 14.30 N/A ReliaStar Bankers Sec Life
Select Ann 3 Northstar Inc & Growth 14.02 N/A Northwestern National Life
Am Century Life Inv Annuity Domestic Inc 10.45 11.67 Nationwide Life
Variety Plus Am Capital Domestic Inc 10.20 11.41 American General Life
Mean 25.76 23.97
Although the top 10 are closely bunched, Ameritas Variable Life dominates. Its Overture line called the tune in the first five spots, with Applause! (!) getting the plaudits as No. 1.
U.S. EQUITY GROWTH
TOP 10
PRODUCT NAme 1-year* % 3-year* % manager name
Compass G Growth Stock 46.41 31.03 Sun Life of Canada
Compass 1(US) Growth Stock 46.34 30.96 Sun Life of Canada
Compass I NY Growth Stock 46.33 30.96 Sun Life & Annuity
Value Adv + Safeco Growth 44.19 N/A Fortis Benefits
Enhanced Accumulator Growth 43.26 N/A Safeco Life
Resource Variable AcctB Growth 42.85 37.40 Safeco Life
Resource Acct A Growth 42.85 37.40 Safeco Life
Safeco Spinnaker + Growth 42.85 37.40 Safeco Life
Safeco Spinnaker Growth 42.64 37.18 Safeco Life
Safeco MainSail Growth 42.64 N/A Safeco Life
BOTTOM 5
Best of Am IV AmCent Cap Apprec -4.52 5.27 Nationwide Life
Opt
ions Fidelity AmCent Cap Apprec -4.60 N/A Provident Mutual Life
Best of Am Am’s Vision An AmCent Cap Apprec -4.61 5.16 Nationwide Life
Maxim Am Cent Cap Apprec -4.62 5.15 Great West Life
Carillon Am Cent Cap Apprec -4.66 N/A Union Central Life
Mean 22.51 23.55
Safeco policies were solid performers, ranking fourth through tenth, but Compass pointed the way in the top three spots. No matter the manager, American Century was last.
CORPORATE BOND HIGH YIELD
TOP 10
PRODUCT NAme 1-year* % 3-year* % manager name
Best of Am F lPrem Var Univ Life Fidel Hi Inc 17.67 N/A Nationwide Life
Best of Am ModSing PremVar Life Fidel Hi Inc 17.67 N/A Nationwide Life
Select Life 2 Fidelity Hi Inc 17.67 17.38 Northwestern National Life
Select Life 3 Fidelity Hi Inc 17.67 17.38 Northwestern National Life
Group VEL Plus Fidelity Hi Inc 17.67 N/A Allmerica Financial
Market Life Fidelity Hi Inc 16.96 16.68 Travelers
Zenith Life+2 Fidelity Hi Inc 16.96 16.68 New England Mutual Life
Zenith Life + Fidelity Hi Inc 16.96 16.68 New England Mutual Life
Zenith Flex Life Fidelity Hi Inc 16.79 N/A New England Mutual Life
VEL – NY Fidelity Hi Inc 16.73 16.29 First Allmerica Financial Life
BOTTOM 5
Oppenheimer Var Ann Hi Yield 8.29 9.49 Fortis Benefits
Wallstreet Survivor Hi Yield 8.29 N/A Fortis Benefits
Pacific Corinthian Var Annuity Hi Yield 8.13 N/A Pacific Corinthian Life
Pacific Select Hi Yield 8.08 11.73 Pacific Mutual Life
Separate Account A Hi Yield 7.92 N/A Pacific Mutual Life
Mean 12.81 13.76
Zenith didn’t quite reach the peak, but didn’t do badly in the junk department with New England Mutual. Best of America lived up to its name, and Pacific Mutual was in the drink.
Source: Standard & Poor’s Micropal
Notes: * 1-year rank is 12/31/96 through 12/31/97; 3-year rank is 12/31/94 through 12/31/97. N/A: Not available.
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