Top 5 Balanced Mutual Funds - Best of Funds

Loading...
Loading...

Balanced mutual funds could be an excellent choice for investors seeking both capital growth and steady income. The presence of fixed-income securities in the portfolios of these funds ensures that gains from rising markets are garnered only at lower levels of risk. 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, then click here.

Transamerica Balanced A (IBALX) seeks capital appreciation with the secondary objective of current income. Common stocks constitute the majority of the fund's investments. The remainder of its assets is utilized to purchase high quality bonds with maturity periods not exceeding 30 years. This balanced mutual fund returned 29.68% in the last one year period.

The fund manager is Greg Haendel and he has managed this balanced mutual fund since 2008.

Wells Fargo Advantage Growth Balanced (NVGBX) invests in both equity master and fixed-income portfolios, concentrating on equity portfolios. It utilizes 65% of its assets to purchase equity and 35% to purchase assets in debt securities. The balanced mutual fund has a three year annualized return of 2.89%.

The balanced mutual fund has an expense ratio of 0.95% compared to a category average of 1.01%.

Thrivent Balanced A (AABFX) seeks to provide both long term capital appreciation and a steady income flow. Up to 35-75% of its stocks are invested in common stocks, 25-50% in fixed-income securities and up to 40% in money market instruments. This balanced mutual fund returned 18.58% over the last one year period.

As of December 2010, this balanced mutual fund held 274 issues, with 3.78% of its total assets invested in FNMA.

Loading...
Loading...

Buffalo Balanced (BUFBX) invests in a mix of domestic common and preferred stocks, convertible securities, and debt. The fund's debt investments may be rated as well as unrated and may include securities rated below investment grade. It invests a minimum of 25% of its total assets in equity and at least 25% in debt at any given time. The balanced mutual fund has a five year annualized return of 6.13%.

The fund manager is John C. Kornitzer and he has managed this balanced mutual fund since 2003.

Alpine Dynamic Balance (ADBYX) seeks capital growth. The fund invests in both large cap domestic stocks and fixed income securities of superior quality. It may utilize up to 75% of its assets to purchase fixed-income securities. The balanced mutual fund returned 16.56% over the last one year period.

The balanced mutual fund has a minimum initial investment of $1,000 and an expense ratio of 1.23% compared to a category average of 1.01%.

To view the Zacks Rank and past performance of all balanced mutual funds, then click here.

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

Zacks Investment Research
Loading...
Loading...
Benzinga simplifies the market for smarter investing

Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.

Join Now: Free!

Loading...