Fund Screener
Mutual funds come in all styles and sizes, and there are more than 15,000 of them. Picking funds can be daunting for investors. This module takes a strategic approach to fund selection by screening with objective criteria used by professional money managers. Each week, the module chooses one investing style to screen, such as conservative bond funds or mid-cap index funds or aggressive growth funds. The Money & Markets staff interviews money managers to learn how they choose funds with that style. The managers' criteria are used to search Morningstar's database of funds to find 5-15 that are the best fit. An example of one week's module: The editors decide to screen for the best mid-cap growth funds. The money managers they interview suggest three criteria. One also argues that smaller midcap funds are more nimble than giants. The resulting screen is for mid-cap funds with less than $1 billion in assets, an outstanding five year performance, an experienced fund manager and low expenses. There are about 850 mid-cap growth funds. The Fund Screener module shows 10 that best meet the four criteria. Occasionally, the module will screen exchange-traded funds, increasingly popular index-style investments that can be bought and sold like stocks. There are about 450 ETFs. The module includes a short story that explains the fund style chosen that week and the criteria used to pick funds. The Fund Screener module complements the Stock Screener module. Both give readers new investment ideas and a better understanding of how Wall Street professionals work.
- Takes a strategic approach to fund selection with objective criteria used by fund managers
- Includes a short story that explains the investing style of the funds traded that week
- Periodic screenings of ETFs
