Smart Moneyreleased its top picks for money managers in the mutual fund space. Some surprises made the list (ING Global Real Estate); some not (Bruce Berkowitz). One (Brent Lynn) was listed as Morningstar's Top Domestic Equity Manager, not a bad run. Here is the list in full:
Foreign Stock Funds
Winner
Thornburg International Value ( TGVAX)
Managers: William Fries, Wendy Trevisani and Lei Wang
Assets: $24 billion
Expenses: $133 per $10,000 invested
5-Year Average Annual Return: 6.4%
Runner-Up
Janus Overseas ( JNOSX)
Manager : Brent Lynn
Assets : $13.7 billion
Expenses : $87 per $10,000 invested
5-Year Average Annual Return : 13.8%
Comment : The longtime fund manager isn't afraid of stocks from emerging markets, and that can lead to volatility. But like Thornburg International, the fund boasts a strong 10-year average annual return of around 8 percent.
Runner-Up
Masters' Select International ( MSILX)
Managers: David Herro, Ted Tyson, William Fries, Jim Gendelman, Amit Wadhwaney and others
Assets: $1.5 billion
Expenses: $115 per $10,000 invested
5-Year Average Annual Return: 5.0%
Comment: A taster's choice sampler with the portfolio divided between several star fund managers, including our foreign-stock-fund winner.
U.S. Large Cap Funds
Co-Winner
Fairholme fund ( FAIRX)
Manager: Bruce Berkowitz
Assets: $17.0 billion
Expenses: $100 per $10,000 invested
5-Year Average Annual Return: 8.2%
Co-Winner
Yacktman fund ( YACKX)
Managers: Don and Stephen Yacktman
Assets: $3.1 billion
Expenses: $93 per $10,000 invested
5-Year Average Annual Return: 8.9%
Comment: A father-and-son team runs this large-cap fund, focusing on battered stocks with solid long-term business prospects.
Runner-Up
Nuveen Tradewinds Value Opportunities ( NVOAX)
Manager: David Iben
Assets: $2.5 billion
Expenses: $143 per $10,000 invested
5-Year Average Annual Return: 11.7%
Comment: This six-year-old fund has relatively high fees and a shorter track record than most of our picks. But double-digit average annual returns make it worth a look.
