Four favorite funds: 'Perennial winners'

"For investors who seek superior relative performance but are unwilling to sacrifice dependability, the we offer six funds that consistently outperform their peers," says Richard Moroney.

In the mid-year forecast for his Dow Theory Forecasts, he explains, "All of these funds have outpaced category averages in each of last five years, and sometimes much longer." Here, he looks at those funds that he considers "perennial winners."

"To be sure, past returns do not guarantee future success. But, while the evidence is not conclusive, academic studies generally indicate performance tends to persist, particularly at the extremes. That is, the best funds continue to outperform their peers, while the worst funds keep lagging.

"Fidelity Export & Multinational (FEXPX), our favorite pick among large-company growth funds, is riding an impressive nine-year winning streak — the longest in its category. Among the more than 1,800 large-cap growth funds, less than 80, or roughly 4%, have outperformed the peer-group average for five straight years.

"The fund invests in companies expected to benefi t from selling goods or services outside the U.S. Portfolio manager Victor Thay has increased the fund’s weighting in the materials sector, boosting exposure to commodities and precious metals.

"Over the last five years, the fund has notched a 12.1% annualized return, ranking it among the top 9% of its category. The minimum initial investment is $2,500.

"Fidelity Leveraged Company Stock (FLVCX) boasts an outstanding track record. Over the last five years, the fund has gained 24.2% annually, versus 12.0% for its peer group. Portfolio manager Thomas Soviero looks for companies that issue lower-quality debt or those with leveraged balance sheets.

"The fund has roughly 200 stocks, and energy accounted for 42% of assets on April 30. The fund
has a minimum initial investment of $10,000.

"Vanguard Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt (VWITX) has low expenses which partially explains its consistent outperformance. The annual expense ratio of 0.17% is well below the peer-group average of 0.94%. The fund’s five-year annualized return of 3.0% ranks among the top 14% of its category.

"The fund owns more than 1,400 municipal bonds, and the portfolio has an average credit quality of AA. With a yield of 3.5% and a taxable-equivalent rate of 5.2%, the fund requires a $3,000 minimum investment.

"Vanguard Wellington (VWELX), an excellent all-weather fund, holds roughly 60% equities and 40% fixed-income investments. The five-year annualized return of 9.6% ranks among the top 9% of the fund’s peer group.

"Since 1991, Vanguard Wellington has suffered only two losing years. The bond portfolio focuses on intermediate-term, high-quality securities. The fund requires a $10,000 minimum investment."