- Both U.S. and international equities were mixed this week.
- The best-performing fund for 2018 on a year-to-date basis is Leland Thomson Reuters Venture Capital Index Fund (LDVIX).
- Commodities is the best-performing mutual funds subcategory based on rolling-month returns.
- Make sure to check out the previous edition of the Weekly Roundup to keep track of changing trends in the mutual funds space.
Market Wrap-Up
U.S. Equities – U.S. equity markets were mostly down this week, with the exception of NASDAQ. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 0.20% to close at 24,263 and is now down 1.85% on a year-to-date basis. The S&P 500 also fell 0.24% for the week to close at 2,663 and is down 0.38% year-to-date. However, the NASDAQ Composite increased 1.26% to close at 7,210. NASDAQ is still the best-performing index among major indices on a year-to-date basis and is up 4.44%.
The best-performing sector was technology, up 3.24% for the week, and remains the best-performing sector on a year-to-date basis, up 7.53%. This sector consists of companies like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), which was up 12.04% for the week.
International Equities – The international markets were also mostly down this week, with the exception of the Japanese Nikkei 225. The MSCI Developed Market Index was down 0.42% to close at 2,031. The MSCI Emerging Market Index fell 1.69% to close at 1,136. Meanwhile, Japan’s Nikkei 225 increased 0.02%, to close at 22,473.
Commodities – The commodities markets were all up this week, with the exception of gold. Crude oil gained $1.62 per barrel to close at $69.72. The price of gold decreased by $8 per troy ounce to close at $1,313. Copper prices also increased by $0.02 to close at $3.09.
Be sure to read important tips on how to invest in the right commodity-based mutual fund.
Taxable Bonds – Treasury yields were mixed this week, with the 2-year Treasury increasing by 2 bps to now yield 2.50%. The 10-year Treasury yield dropped 1 bps and now yields 2.95%. The 30-year Treasury remained unchanged and continues to yield 3.12%.
Municipal Bonds – Municipal yields were all down this week, with the 2-year AAA-rated bonds decreasing by 1 bps to yield 1.86%. The 10-year AAA-rated bonds saw a decrease of 8 bps, while the 30-year AAA-rated bonds fell 11 bps, to now yield 3.05%. Municipal bond funds saw outflows of $355 million this week, after seeing inflows of $242 million last week. The largest credit spread for the two-year securities increased to 64 bps for the week.
Explore our Mutual Fund Education section to learn more about important mutual fund concepts.
Performance Snapshot: Top Fund Category
| Category | Top Subcategory | 1-Month Subcategory Return (%) | Top Subcategory Performer | Ticker | 1-Month Fund Return (%) | Performance Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Equity Fund | Small Cap Growth Equities | 2.37% | Jacob Micro Cap Growth Institutional | MIGX | 7.30% | The fund's largest holding is USA Technologies Inc.(NASDAQ:USAT), which is up over 10% for the last week. |
| International Equity | Europe Equities | 2.98% | Franklin Mutual European R6 | FMEUX | 5.74% | The fund's largest holding is Royal Philips NV ADR(PHG), which is up over 13% on a year-to-date basis. |
| Commodities | Broad Basket | 4.36% | Credit Suisse Commodity Acss Strat A | CRCAX | 7.68% | With commodities and bond prices increasing this week, this fund benefited by remaining invested in short-term Treasury notes. |
| Taxable Bonds | Bank Loans | 0.44% | JHancock Floating Rate Income I | JFIIX | 0.75% | Floating rate bonds saw this week's largest gains. |
| Municipal Bonds | High Yield Municipal Bonds | 0.60% | Oppenheimer Rochester® High Yld Muni Y | ORNYX | 2.6'3% | High-yield munis benefited the most this week. |
Performance Snapshot: Top Fund
One of the fund’s largest holdings is Adobe Systems Inc (NASDAQ:ADBE), which is up over 31% on a year-to-date basis.
Top 5 Performers
The following table provides the top-performing mutual funds on a YTD basis as of May 4, 2018. Only those funds that are rated five stars by Morningstar and that generated YTD returns greater than or equal to that achieved by the S&P 500 are included.
| Name | Ticker | Category | YTD % | Net Expense Ratio | % of Assets in Top 10 Holdings | Total Assets $ (Millions) | Top Sector Invested |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leland Thomson Reuters Vntr Cptl Idx I | LDVIX | Large Growth Equities | 16.83% | 1.74% | 29.00% | $46.00 | Technology |
| ClearBridge Select IS | LCSSX | Mid Cap Growth Equities | 13.90% | 2.02% | 28.80% | $59 | Technology |
| Nationwide Small Company Growth A | NWSAX | Small Cap Growth Equities | 12.86% | 1.33% | 45.70% | $273 | Technology |
| Brown Capital Mgmt Small Co Instl | BCSSX | Small Cap Growth Equities | 12.67% | 1.08% | 48.90% | $4,660 | Technology |
| Morgan Stanley Multi Cap Growth I | CPODX | Large Cap Growth Equities | 12.49% | 0.95% | 53.30% | $527 | Technology |