The World According to GARP Discerning this fund's facts from fiction
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
One of the great things about a market that has toppled from very lofty heights is the opportunity it holds-particularly for those who don't mind taking risks in the large-cap arena and prefer investing in growth stocks that are priced right.
52% of investors say they've had to reduce personal discretionary spending because of rising energy costs. |
Jay Sekelsky, portfolio manager of the Mosaic Focus Fund, is a growth at-a-reasonable-price (GARP) investor. Because his portfolio is a focused one, typically holding between 12 and 18 stocks, it's considered riskier than those holding more names. That's not necessarily a bad thing, however: According to Lipper Analytical Services, the fund was up more than 5.35 percent in June, while most large-cap growth funds were down more than 13 percent. And, while the holdings are limited, the companies in it are made up of familiar brand names: McDonald's and Target, to name a few.
"We're trying to avoid any real big hits to the portfolio," explains Sekelsky. "So preservation of capital is an important element. And we try to pick solid 15 percent-type growth stocks where the growth can be consistently achieved, as opposed to those 25 to 30 percent growth stocks that can be more volatile."
While this fund has had its ups and downs, the year-end total return in 2000 was 10.7 percent. Bargain hunters who like the GARP investment style might find the fund worth investigating.
Dian Vujovich is an author, syndicated columnist and publisher of fund investing site www.fundfreebies.com.
Contact Sources
- Mosaic Focus Fund
(800) 368-3195, www.mosaicfunds.com - National City
(877) NCB-4BIZ, marykay.schneider@nationalcity.com
