MutualFundWire.com: Odd Lots, July 22, 1999

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Thursday, July 22, 1999

Odd Lots, July 22, 1999

Janus Venture's managers kick the tires
From Investor's Business Daily
The Janus Venture Fund, a small-cap growth fund, was up 32% this year going into Wednesday. During the last 36 months the market has not been kind to small-cap stocks but this fund has earned a B rating from IBD as it outperformed 79% of all funds during that time with its total return of 72%. The fund managers attribute the fund's success to the tire-kicking, on-the-spot equity research done by the Janus Family of Funds.

Ohio National Financial offers a gift with purchase
From The Wall Street Journal
Bill Miller, the manager of the $12 billion Legg Mason Value Trust has been hired along with his team of money managers to take an under performing pool of $300 million in stocks and turn it into a clone of the hugely successful Value Trust. The midsize Cincinnati insurance company, Ohio National Financial Services Inc., will use Miller's expertise to give investors a chance to invest with Miller without necessarily going through Legg Mason. The catch is that they will have to buy an Ohio National variable annuity or variable life insurance policy through the insurer or a brokerage firm. Legg Mason will also sell the insurer's products through its brokers.

Ministers blast off while gunning down the Defense Department
From The Sacramento Bee
Socially responsible investing was received with skepticism at first but many of its funds have consistently beat the market of late. One of the earliest SRI funds, the Pax World Fund, created by two Methodist ministers, refuses to invest with companies that have dealings with the Defense Department. The Pax World Fund's average annual total returns over the past one, five and 10-year periods ending June 30, were 21.27%, 20.64% and 13.83% respectively. For the five-year period ending June 30, the fund was ranked eighth out of 182 balanced funds, according to Lipper Analytical Services. As a result, the fund's asset base is knocking on the $1 billion door for the first time.

Funds in the press:

The Worldlyinvestor.com showcases the SSGA Emerging Markets Fund.