Guide to Top Mutual Funds 2018

Commentary

All in all, 2017 was a great year for stocks, both domestic and foreign. It wasn’t a shabby year for bonds either, although returns were relatively muted compared to stocks. Forty-six of the mutual fund categories ended the year in positive territory (with 25 realizing double-digit gains), while only two declined.

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Performance Tables

• Performance of Index Benchmarks
• Performance of Category Averages
• Performance of the 50 Most Widely Held Funds
• Top 50 Performers for 2017
• Bottom 50 Performers for 2017
• Risk-Adjusted Returns

Expanded Fund Listings

• View All Funds
• View Category Averages
• Domestic Large-Cap Stock Funds
  Focus on large stocks of national or multinational firms with well-known products or services.
• Domestic Mid-Cap Stock Funds
  Focus on stocks that are smaller than the largest domestic stocks, usually established firms in established industries with regional, national and sometimes international markets.
• Domestic Small-Cap Stock Funds
  Focus on stocks of small companies in emerging firms or emerging industries and those in established firms with local, regional and sometimes national and international markets.
• Long-Short Funds
  Use both long and short exposures, either divided equally or shifted depending on outlook or research.
• Contra Stock Market Funds
  Invest in short stock positions and derivatives, often with extensive holdings in shorts or puts; returns generally move in the opposite direction of the benchmark index.
• Sector Stock Funds
  Concentrate stock holdings in just one industry or a few related industries.
• International Stock Funds
  Invest in the stocks of foreign firms in a single country or a single region or multiple regions. “Global” funds invest in both foreign and U.S. securities.
• Balanced Stock-Bond Funds
  Consist of investments in common stocks and significant investments in bonds and convertible securities.
• Target Date Funds
  Identified by year designations that investors can match to their planned retirement date. Invest in a mix of domestic and foreign stocks and bonds that becomes more conservative and income-oriented as the target date approaches.
• Domestic Taxable Bond Funds
  Invest in bonds. Categorized by the type of bonds they hold (general, corporate, government) and their average maturity (short, intermediate or long).
• National Muni Bond Funds
  Invest in bonds whose income is exempt from federal income tax.
• State-Specific Muni Bond Funds
  Invest in bonds whose income is exempt from federal and state income tax.
• International Bond Funds
  Focus on foreign corporate and government bonds.