05/2017 KIPLINGER’S PERSONAL FINANCE 63EXPLANATION OF TERMS
Return means total return and assumes reinvestment
of all dividends and capital gains; three- and five-year
returns are annualized. Returns reflect ongoing expenses
but not sales charges.
Maximum sales charge A figure without a footnote
means the commission is deducted from the money
you send to the fund. A figure with an r is the max-
imum redemption fee charged when you sell shares.
Funds that charge both sales and redemption fees
are footnoted with an s next to the front-end load.
Expense ratio is the percentage of assets claimed
annually for operating a fund.20 LARGEST STOCK MUTUAL FUNDS Ranked by sizeRank/Name* Symbol 1 yr. 3 yrs. 5 yrs.Assets†
(billions)Max.
sales
chargeTo l l - f r e e
numberAnnualized total return
through Feb. 28*Unless otherwise indicated, funds come in multiple share classes; we list the share class that is best suited for individual investors.
@Single share class. †For all share classes combined. ‡Open to new investors if purchased directly through Vanguard. rMaximum
redemption fee. MSCI EAFE index consists of developed foreign stock markets. SOURCES: Morningstar Inc., Vanguard.1.Vanguard Total Stock Market Idx Inv VTSMX $465.7 26.1% 9.7% 13.7% none 800-635-1511
2.Vanguard Total Intl Stock Idx Inv VGTSX 244.5 19.6 0.2 4.0 none 800-635-1511
3.Vanguard 500 Index Inv VFINX 243.2 24.8 10.5 13.9 none 800-635-1511
4.American Growth Fund of America A AGTHX 155.2 26.8 9.0 14.0 5.75% 800-421-0180
5.American EuroPacific Growth A AEPGX 127.8 16.6 0.4 5.5 5.75 800-421-0180
6.Fidelity 500 Index Inv FUSEX 116.6 24.9 10.5 13.9 none 800-343-3548
7.Fidelity Contrafund FCNTX 107.4 20.2 8.2 13.0 none 800-343-3548
8.American Balanced A ABALX 106.7 15.8 7.5 10.3 5.75 800-421-0180
9.American Income Fund of America A AMECX 105.2 17.2 6.3 9.2 5.75 800-421-0180
10.American Capital Income Builder A CAIBX 102.4 12.5 4.3 7.1 5.75 800-421-0180
11.Vanguard Wellington‡ VWELX 98.6 18.6 7.6 10.0 none 800-635-1511
12.American Washington Mutual A AWSHX 90.0 23.9 9.4 13.1 5.75 800-421-0180
13.American Capital World Gro & Inc A CWGIX 85.4 20.0 3.9 9.1 5.75 800-421-0180
14.American Fundamental Invs A ANCFX 84.4 26.4 10.1 13.6 5.75 800-421-0180
15.American Invstmt Co of America A AIVSX 84.1 25.0 9.4 13.4 5.75 800-421-0180
16.Franklin Income A FKINX 83.2 23.4 3.6 7.3 4.25 800-632-2301
17.Vanguard Mid Cap Index Inv VIMSX 64.6 25.9 8.4 13.2 none 800-635-1511
18.Dodge & Cox Stock@ DODGX 63.4 38.1 10.1 15.9 none 800-621-3979
19.American New Perspective A ANWPX 63.3 19.0 5.3 10.2 5.75 800-421-0180
20.Vanguard Small Cap Index Inv NAESX 56.8 31.8 7.3 13.3 none 800-635-1511
S&P 500-STOCK INDEX 25.0% 10.6% 14.0%
MSCI EAFE INDEX 15.8% –0.6% 5.2%Not Your
Avera ge
Utility Fund
This fund’s veteran manager
also invests in cable stocks
and energ y partnerships.MAURA SHAUGHNESSY HAS SEEN PLENTY
of ups and downs during her quarter-
century tenure at the helm of MFS
UTILITIES. Now, after a few years
of so-so results, her fund is again
among the leaders in its group.
Shaughnessy invests mostly in
bargain-priced electricity, natural
gas and water utilities, holding a mix
of high-yielding stocks and stocks
that pay less but, she expects, will
deliver robust share-price gains.
She also holds firms that tend to be
underrepresented in utilities funds.
MFS has nearly 20% of its assets in
energy stocks—mostly master lim-
ited partnerships—and 15% in cable-
TV operators, such as Comcast, and
telecommunications companies.
Shaughnessy is far more willing
than her rivals to go abroad. At last
word, her fund had 30% of its assets
in foreign stocks, compared with 11%
for the average utility fund. That has
hurt MFS’s performance because U.S.
stocks have done far better than for-
eign issues in recent years. But as a
result, Shaughnessy says, she has
never seen foreign utilities so cheap
relative to their U.S. counterparts.
MFS Utilities has rewarded
patient investors. It has been the
top-performing utilities fund over
the past 25 years, with a 10.9% annu-
alized return. The fund’s Class A
shares, which yield 2.8%, normally
levy a 5.75% sales charge, but you can
buy them without a load at several
online brokers. RYAN ERMEYFUND SPOTLIGHTRETURNS FOR
THOUSANDS OF
FUNDS ONLINE
Use our Mutual Fund Finder
to get the latest data and see
the top performers over one-,
three- and five-year periods.
Research a specific fund, or
compare multiple funds based
on style, performance and
cost. And view details including
volatility rank and turnover
rate. To use this tool, go to
kiplinger.com/tools/fundfinder.Kiplinger.comYieldUTILITIES STOCK FUNDS Ranked by one-year returnsRank/Name* Symbol 1 yr. 3 yrs. 5 yrs.Max.
sales
chargeExp.
ratioTo l l - f r e e
numberAnnualized total return
through Feb. 281.Hennessy Gas Utility Inv GASFX 21.2% 7.3% 11.7% 2.2% none 1.01% 800-966-4354
2.ICON Utilities A ICTVX 19.7 11.9 12.0 1.6 5.75% 1.75 800-764-0442
3.MFS Utilities A MMUFX19.5 3.1 8.1 2.8 5.75 0.99 800-225-2606
4.Prudential Jennison Utility A PRUAX 19.0 6.8 12.1 2.3 5.50 0.85 800-225-1852
5.Fidelity Telecom and Utilities@ FIUIX 18.5 8.5 12.0 2.5 none 0.74 800-343-3548
6.Fidelity Select Utilities@ FSUTX 18.2 8.0 11.9 2.2 0.75r 0.78 800-343-3548
7.Gabelli Utilities AAA GABUX 18.1 6.0 8.6 1.0 2.00r 1.39 800-422-3554
8.Fidelity Advisor Utilities A FUGAX 17.6 7.6 11.6 1.8 5.75 1.12 800-343-3548
9.Rydex Utilities Inv RYUIX 17.5 10.3 10.9 2.2 none 1.35 800-820-0888
10.Franklin Utilities A FKUTX 17.3 10.9 12.0 2.6 4.25 0.73 800-632-2301
CATEGORY AVERAGE 16.6% 6.6% 9.7%Yield