With inflation rearing its ugly head and commodity prices on a tear, gold-oriented mutual funds are doing well these days. If you’re looking to add some shine to your fund portfolio, American Century Global Gold is the best pure-play on gold..

we are not at a bottom in this market, we are darn close. I am becoming very constructive in the near term and within two or three months, I expect to move my portfolio to an aggressive, long position. The timing of a new rally will coincide with the election and the beginning of a new administration in Washington D.C. It is no coincidence that…

One of the companies powering the global expansion, according to Marquez, is Zurich-based ABB Ltd. (NYSE: ABB), a leading global provider of electrical-system services and components. With 120 years in business under its belt, ABB leads the world market in power-transmission,…

If you’re thinking that tax-efficiency and small-cap funds are mutually exclusive, you haven’t checked out Vanguard Tax- Managed Small Cap lately. The fund, which seeks to track the S&P SmallCap 600 on a tax-managed basis, has delivered solid results…

There’s a silver lining in the recent stock market turbulence: Royce Micro-Cap and many of its peers are seeing new opportunities in the carnage and re-opening to new investors. Its bottom-up, risk-averse approach has led to the best long-term track record of any…

Janus Mid Cap Value isn’t your typical Janus fund. Janus flew high based on its growth stock investing strategy during the go-go tech bubble of the late 1990s, but then fell hard in 2001 and 2002, issues which were compounded by its involvement in the…

Dodge and Cox Stock Fund is open to new investors, giving fund investors seeking long-term growth with low volatility another investing option. During the past 10 years, the fund has only lost shareholder’s money in one year, although it is…

If you’re looking for a broadly diversified fund with strong returns to tap into rapidly expanding economies overseas, American Funds EuroPacific Growth A may be for you. The fund, which has benefited from the falling dollar, invests in large companies in developed and emerging markets…

In an attempt to head off a recession and help people with adjustable-rate mortgages, the Federal Reserve Bank has been cutting the discount rate. That’s great for people who owe money, but not such a good deal for those who…

The Huntington Situs Fund, formerly the Huntington Situs Small Cap Fund, invests in small companies anywhere in the world. The fund has an interesting stock selection bias. “Situs” means “where the property is located,” meaning the fund looks…

The Brandywine Fund’s managers are bold. They choose stocks they like and sell them when the price or fundamentals are no longer attractive. Brandywine’s managers are not afraid to trade against the market, either…

Almost two-thirds of the world is made up of young workers willing to work for low wages and in desperate need of such basic consumer goods as cell phones and refrigerators. They live in countries that lack the money or political will to build infrastructure or trade. Now, these young workers want change…

Micro-cap stocks aren’t even on the radar screen for most individual investors who consider this equity class far too risky. But when they’re available in a diversified portfolio that stresses growth at a reasonable price in the form of the Perritt Emerging Opportunities Fund, it might be…

The management and board of Pax World Balanced Fund recently overhauled its socially responsible investing criteria for the first time in 35 years. The fund also out-performed the S&P 500 index on an average annual return basis from

When Richard Aster launched Meridian Growth Fund, Ronald Reagan was president, the unemployment rate was 7.5% and Apple manufactured the first Macintosh computer. In the 23 years since the fund was launched, a lot has changed, but not Aster’s investment philosophy.

While Marsico doesn’t officially manage the 21st Century Fund – the third fund started by the fund family – he works closely with manager Corydon Gilcrist, CFA. The fund invests in growth companies of any size and boasts a concentrated portfolio of…

Henderson Global Technology Fund, a six year- old fund, provides just such an opportunity. One of seven funds managed by London-based Henderson Global Investors, the fund has only $73 million in assets, but…

In its 77 year history, Dodge and Cox has launched a total of four funds. Dodge and Cox International, launched in May 2001, is the firm’s newest fund. In the past six years, the fund has gathered an impressive $38 billion in assets and has…

As one of the few small-cap growth funds with a good track record that is still open to new investors, Champlain Small Company Adv. is in a sweet spot. If you’re interested in buying shares, though, don’t wait too long…