- U.S. equities were up, while international equities were down this week.
- The best-performing fund for 2018 on a year-to-date basis is Leland Thomson Reuters Venture Capital Index Fund (LDVIX).
- Small Cap Growth Equities 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 industry.
Market Wrap-Up
The best-performing sector was real estate, up 3.11% for the week, but it still remains negative on a year-to-date basis, down 4.28%. This sector consists of companies like American Tower Corp (NYSE:AMT), which was up 2.63% for the week.
International Equities – The international markets were all down this week, with the MSCI Developed Market Index falling 0.97% to close at 1,992. The MSCI Emerging Market Index fell 0.51% to close at 1,130. Finally, Japan’s Nikkei 225 saw this week’s biggest decline with a 1.18% drop to close at 22,171.
Commodities – The commodities markets were mostly down this week, with the exception of copper. Crude oil fell $4.90 per barrel to close at $65.81. The price of gold decreased by $9 per troy ounce to close at $1,295. Copper prices saw no change and remains at $3.10.
Be sure to read our important tips on how to invest in the right commodity-based mutual fund.
Taxable Bonds – Treasury yields were down again this week, with the 2-year Treasury decreasing by 1 bps to now yield 2.47%. The 10-year Treasury yield fell 3 bps and now yields 2.90%. The 30-year Treasury decreased 4 bps to yield 3.05%.
Municipal Bonds – Municipal yields were all down this week, with the 2-year AAA-rated bonds decreasing by 5 bps to yield 1.77%. The 10-year AAA-rated bonds saw a decrease of 5 bps, while the 30-year AAA-rated bonds also decreased by 5 bps, to now yield 2.98%. Municipal bond funds broke its inflow trend and saw outflows of $89 million in assets under management. The largest credit spread for the five-year securities increased to 73 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 | 6.69% | Nysa | NYSAX | 13.82% | The fund's largest holding is Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:LGND), which is up over 43% on a year-to-date basis. |
International Equity | China Equities | 2.25% | Oberweis China Opportunities | OBCHX | 8.96% | The fund invests in China, which saw gains this week. |
Commodities | Broad Basket | 1.60% | DoubleLine Strategic Commodity I | DBCMX | 2.89% | With commodities and bond prices increasing this week, this fund benefitted by remaining invested in both. |
Taxable Bonds | Long Government | 1.91% | Wasatch-Hoisington U.S. Treasury | WHOSX | 2.69% | With yields all falling this week, government bonds saw large gains. |
Municipal Bonds | Single State Muni Bonds | 1.31% | Nuveen CA High Yield Municipal Bond C2 | NCHCX | 1.74% | High-yield California bond funds saw the largest increase in price. |
Performance Snapshot: Top Fund
One of the fund’s largest holdings is Adobe Systems Inc (NASDAQ:ADBE), which is up over 44% on a year-to-date basis.
Top Five Performers
The following table provides the top-performing mutual funds on a YTD basis as of June 1, 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 Cap Growth Equities | 25.55% | 1.74% | 29.00% | $46 | Technology |
Virtus KAR Small-Cap Growth I | PXSGX | Small Cap Growth Equities | 20.37% | 1.25% | 49.50% | $2,920 | Technology |
ClearBridge Select IS | LCSSX | Mid Cap Growth Equities | 20.19% | 2.02% | 23.60% | $59 | Technology |
Morgan Stanley Multi Cap Growth I | CPODX | Large Cap Growth Equities | 19.66% | 0.95% | 54.00% | $527 | Technology |
Lord Abbett Micro Cap Growth I | LMIYX | Micro Cap Equities | 19.43% | 1.67% | 26.10% | $140 | Healthcare |