In Focus
December 22, 2008
t's year-end, and it isn't pretty. There certainly is despair and anger among investors whose fortunes have vanished due to the largest and longest Ponzi Scheme in history - the infamous Bernie Madoff debacle. But let's not forget about the millions of ordinary investors whose retirement savings and investments may well face a similar fate!
Below is a summary of the year's worst performing mutual funds. Retirees and those with conservative or moderate investment objectives and risk tolerance should not have had a sizable amount of their investable assets in these mutual funds. If you or someone you know has invested in one of the following mutual funds, I'd be delighted to hear from you.
|
LARGE-CAP GROWTH
|
MID-CAP VALUE
|
|
NAME
|
1 Year
|
NAME
|
1 Year
|
|
Direxion Nasdaq 100 Bull
2.5X Inv.
|
-80.28
|
Touchstone JSAM
Institutional Value
|
-70.73
|
|
Rydex Dynamic Nasdaq 100
2.5X Strategy
|
-70.34
|
Ultra Russell MidCap Value
ProShares
|
-68.34
|
|
ProFunds UltraNasdaq 100 Inv
|
-70.15
|
Fidelity Select Automobile
|
-64.54
|
|
Ultra Russell 1000 Growth
ProShares
|
-65.65
|
Foresight Value
|
-57.44
|
|
Legg Mason Growth Trust
Primary
|
-59.50
|
Claymore/Clear Spin Off
|
-52.36
|
|
Morningstar category average
|
-38.96
|
Morningstar category average
|
-38.04
|
|
Russell 1000 Growth Index
|
-36.95
|
Russell Midcap Value Index
|
-38.83
|
|
LARGE-CAP VALUE
|
SMALL-CAP GROWTH
|
|
NAME
|
1 Year
|
NAME
|
1 Year
|
|
Touchstone Large Cap Value A
|
-73.25
|
Ultra Russell 2000 Growth
ProShares
|
-67.72
|
|
Touchstone JSAM
Institutional Lg Cp Val
|
-71.36
|
Winslow Green Growth
|
-59.80
|
|
Ultra Russell 1000 Value
ProShares
|
-66.52
|
Oberweis Emerging Growth
|
-58.43
|
|
ProFunds Basic Materials
UltraSector Inv
|
-63.98
|
NS Small Cap Growth
|
-56.42
|
|
Rydex Dow 2X Stragegy C
|
-60.01
|
Rockland Small Cap Growth
|
-55.36
|
|
Morningstar category average
|
-37.26
|
Morningstar category average
|
-41.56
|
|
Russell 1000 Value Index
|
-36.80
|
Russell 2000 Growth Index
|
-37.87
|
|
MID-CAP GROWTH
|
SMALL-CAP VALUE
|
|
NAME
|
1 Year
|
NAME
|
1 Year
|
|
|
Ultra Russell MidCap Growth
ProShares
|
-72.39
|
Ultra Russell 2000 Value
ProShares
|
-60.01
|
|
|
Landenburg Thalmann Gaming
and Casino
|
-67.59
|
CNI Charter RCB Sm Cap Val R
|
-52.92
|
|
|
Ralph Parks Cyclical Equity
|
-64.44
|
Claymore/S&P Global
Dividend Opp
|
-50.27
|
|
|
Legg Mason Opportunity
Prim
|
-61.68
|
Longleaf Partners Small-Cap
|
-47.24
|
|
|
Oberweis Mid-Cap
|
-56.79
|
Ironwood Isabella Small Co.
Stock Inv.
|
-47.21
|
|
|
Morningstar category average
|
-42.20
|
Morningstar category average
|
-33.20
|
|
|
Russell Midcap Growth Index
|
-42.65
|
Russell 2000 Value Index
|
-30.54
|
|
|
FINANCIAL
|
REAL ESTATE
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NAME
|
1 Year
|
NAME
|
3 months
|
|
Ultra Financials ProShares
|
-81.42
|
Ultra Real Estate ProShares
|
-60.21
|
|
Profunds UltraSector
Financials Inv
|
-68.71
|
ProFunds Real Estate
UltraSector Inv
|
-47.32
|
|
Fidelity Select Home Finance
|
-63.45
|
Alpine U.S. Real Equity
|
-36.56
|
|
ProFunds UltraSector Inv
|
-60.37
|
Kensington Strategic Realty
A
|
-42.44
|
|
Listed Private Equity Plus A
|
-59.57
|
Alpine Realty Income &
Growth
|
-42.46
|
|
Morningstar category average
|
-43.97
|
Morningstar category average
|
-31.02
|
|
Dow Jones U.S. Financial
|
-48.46
|
Dow Jones Wilshire REIT TR
|
-31.14
|
|
NAME
|
1 Year
|
NAME
|
1 year
|
|
Ultra Health Care ProShares
|
-47.23
|
Ultra Semiconductor
ProShares
|
-75.11
|
|
Fidelity Select Medical
Delivery
|
-43.37
|
Ultra Technology ProShares
|
-70.37
|
|
Shares Dow Jones US
Healthcare
|
-41.38
|
ProFunds Internet
UltraSector Inv
|
-64.82
|
|
HealthShares European Drugs
|
-40.88
|
ProFunds Semiconductor
UltraSector Inv
|
-62.90
|
|
PowerShares Dynamic
Healthcare Svcs
|
-39.96
|
ProFunds Technology
UltraSector Inv
|
-57.96
|
|
Morningstar category average
|
-25.35
|
Morningstar category average
|
-44.34
|
|
Dow Jones U.S. Health Care
|
-23.27
|
NYSE Arca Tech 100
|
-36.19
|
|
NATURAL RESOURCES
|
UTILITIES
|
|
NAME
|
1 Year
|
NAME
|
3 months
|
|
Ultra Basic Materials
ProShares
|
-77.32
|
Ultra Utilities ProShares
|
-45.41
|
|
Direxion Commodity Bull 2X
Inv
|
-75.98
|
ProFunds Utilities
UltraSector Inv
|
-35.03
|
|
ProFunds Oil Eqpmt Svc &
Distr Inv
|
-66.12
|
Jennison Utility B
|
-36.37
|
|
Guinness Atkinson
Alternative Energy
|
-65.58
|
Fidelity Utilities
|
-26.17
|
|
Ultra Oil & Gas
ProShares
|
-65.15
|
Aberdeen Global Utilities A
|
-26.42
|
|
Morningstar category average
|
-42.99
|
Morningstar category average
|
-26.26
|
|
Goldman Sachs Natural
Resources Index
|
-39.50
|
Dow Jones Utilities Average
TR
|
-21.25
|
_______________________________________________________________________
About the Author:
James J. Eccleston is the president of Eccleston Law Offices, P.C. The Chicago-based firm represents investors and advisers nationwide in securities and employment matters. 312-332-0000 www.EcclestonLaw.com.
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