Best performing mutual funds 3rd and 4th quarter 2015

#Best performing mutual funds 3rd and 4th quarter 2015 professional
#Best performing mutual funds 3rd and 4th quarter 2015 free

Intel ( INTC, $49.25) has been one of the most troubled Dow stocks in recent years, falling far behind its competition on any number of fronts. Analysts' ratings: 7 Strong Buy, 3 Buy, 22 Hold, 6 Sell, 3 Strong Sell.In fact, they give XOM a consensus recommendation of Hold right now, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Wall Street analysts aren't generally keen on the stock at current levels, however. That long history of generous dividend growth helped make XOM one of the 30 best stocks of the past 30 years. In XOM's case, it has raised its dividend for 38 straight years вЂ“ and at an average annual growth rate of 6.1%. Exxon Mobil is a member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, an index of companies that have increased their dividends annually for at least 25 years. Meanwhile, investors of all sizes can count on XOM for equity income. XOM's attendant liquidity allows big investors to move in and out of positions with relative ease.

#Best performing mutual funds 3rd and 4th quarter 2015 free

Sign up for Kiplinger's FREE Closing Bell e-letter: Our daily look at the stock market's most important headlines, and what moves investors should make.ДЄs the largest listed energy company by market capitalization, Exxon Mobil is an obvious holding for hedge funds looking for exposure to the sector. To its credit, Chevron ( CVX), the Dow's only remaining energy stock, is up more than 35% for the year to date. Shares in the oil major are up about 48% so far this year, outperforming the Dow by 35 percentage points.

Analysts' ratings: 5 Strong Buy, 5 Buy, 16 Hold, 2 Sell, 1 Strong SellД®xxon Mobil ( XOM, $60.89) was removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average in 2020, which is too bad for anyone invested in index products that track the tight group of 30 blue-chip stocks.

But we'll delve into a few specifics that make each blue chip special. All these names likely appeal to elite funds because of their size, strong track records or outsized growth prospects. Have a look at hedge funds' 25 top blue-chip stocks to buy now. So either way, each hedge-fund favorite is an intriguing idea worth a closer look. (It's a lot easier to justify holding a large position in a Dow stock than a no-name small-cap if restive clients start grumbling about their returns.)Д«ut hey, more than half these names are not in the famed blue-chip average, and a few of these picks might seem completely out of left field.

#Best performing mutual funds 3rd and 4th quarter 2015 professional

Big-name blue-chip stocks also carry a lower level of reputational risk for professional money managers. That's partly a function of Dow components' massive market capitalizations and attendant liquidity, which creates ample room for institutional investors to build or sell large positions. Dow stocks are heavily over-represented when it comes to names with the highest number of hedge fund shareholders fully 13 of the Dow's 30 blue-chip stocks rank among hedge funds' 25 top picks. Most investors won't be surprised by many of hedge funds' favorite picks. Although the so-called smart money might be lagging as a group, there's still some collective wisdom to be found in this crowd. A broad measure of their performance doesn't necessarily make for an apples-to-apples comparison with, say, the S&P 500.ДЄnd that's why it's always interesting вЂ“ and, yes, sometimes even edifying вЂ“ to see which names rank as hedge funds' favorite stocks. But to be fair: Hedge funds can pursue dozens of investing strategies.