Balanced mutual funds could be an excellent choice for investors
seeking both capital growth and steady income. Investing in this
class of funds ensures that gains from rising markets are garnered
only at lower levels of risk since the strengths of both equity and
fixed income securities are harnessed. The composition of their
portfolios also ensures that capital invested is protected during
difficult times. Moreover, many balanced funds keep the relative
share of equity and debt flexible so that they can respond
appropriately to changing market conditions.
Below we will share with you 5 top rated balanced mutual funds.
Each has earned a Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) as we expect the fund
to outperform its peers in the future. To view the Zacks Rank
and past performance of all balanced funds, investors can click here to see the complete list of funds
.
Principal SAM Balanced A (SABPX) invests in
both fixed income and equity securities. The fund holds these
securities by primarily investing in other funds from the Principal
stable. The balanced mutual fund has a five year annualized return
of 3.14%.
The Fund Manager is Todd R. Jablonski and he has managed this
balanced mutual fund since 2009.
MEMBERS Diversified Income A ( MBLAX ) seeks both income and capital growth.
The fund purchases a wide range of securities such as common
stocks, real estate securities, domestic and foreign bonds, foreign
stocks and money market securities. The balanced mutual fund has a
five year annualized return of 2.28%.
The balanced mutual fund has a minimum initial investment of
$1,000 and an expense ratio of 1.10% compared to a category average
of 0.92%.
Buffalo Flexible Income ( BUFBX ) invests in a wide spectrum of
instruments like common stocks, convertible and non-convertible
preferred stocks, convertible and non convertible debt securities,
and junk bonds. The balanced mutual fund has a five year annualized
return of 4.68%.
As of March 2012, this balanced mutual fund held 119 issues,
with 9.64% of its total assets invested in Fidelity Instl MM Fds
Government I.
WesMark Balanced ( WMBLX ) seeks capital growth and income. The
fund invests in a portfolio consisting of equity, fixed-income
securities and money market instruments. It focuses on allocating
its equity component to common stocks of large and mid-cap
companies and may invest in ETFs. The balanced mutual fund has a
five year annualized return of 4.71%.
The Fund Manager is David B. Ellwood and he has managed this
balanced mutual fund since 1998.
Ivy International Balanced A ( IVBAX ) invests in equity and debt securities
which are issued from mature economies in Europe and the
Asia-Pacific region. The fund invests in companies of all sizes and
in government securities rated investment grade. It may also
consider investing in emerging economies. The balanced mutual fund
has a five year annualized return of 0.31%.
The balanced mutual fund has a minimum initial investment of
$500 and an expense ratio of 1.44% compared to a category average
of 1.22%.
To view the Zacks Rank and past performance of all balanced
mutual funds, investors can click here to see the complete list of funds
.
About Zacks Mutual Fund Rank
By applying the Zacks Rank to mutual funds, investors can find
funds that not only outpaced the market in the past but are also
expected to outperform going forward. Learn more about the Zacks
Mutual Fund Rank at http://www.zacks.com/funds .
View All Zacks #1 Ranked Mutual Funds
(BUFBX): ETF Research Reports
(IVBAX): ETF Research Reports
(MBLAX): ETF Research Reports
(SABPX): ETF Research Reports
(WMBLX): ETF Research Reports
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
Zacks Investment
Research