Staying on top of mutual fund news is important for investors. Below, we look at the most important mutual fund news from the past week.
BlackRock’s Mutual Funds See Record Inflows
BlackRock reported that it saw $18.9 billion in mutual fund inflows in 2014. The year marked BlackRock’s best year for inflows. The last time the asset saw record-breaking inflows was in 2010.
2014’s Best Performing Mutual Fund Categories
In 2014, the S&P 500 gained 11%. There were a few surprises as far as the best performing mutual fund categories. While energy funds and precious metals fell, these categories outperformed. The primary reason for these increases was falling interest rates.
| Sector | 2014 Performance |
|---|---|
| Utility Funds | +17.1% |
| Real Estate Funds | +28% |
| Long-term Government Bond Funds | 21.7% |
For more information, check out the full article.
What to Expect in 2015
Investors Business Daily recently published an article highlighting the good and bad of 2014. Th article summed up the great performance of certain sector funds including biotech and real estate, and the downfall of the energy sector.
For 2015, the outlook suggests that foreign stocks may be risky for investors, but the U.S. outlook remains stable.
For more information, check out the full article.
The “Mr. Market” Theory
In a recent report written by Smead Capital Management’s William Smead, a 1987 annual report from Berkshire Hathaway was revisited. In this letter, Warren Buffett describes the concept of “Mr. Market” – looking at the market as a type of business partner. William Smead goes on to discuss how successful and unsuccessful investors will use this theory in 2015. To read the article, click here.