This Gold-Rated Dodge & Cox Fund Has Reopened

Tony Thomas: Dodge & Cox International Stock, which reopened to new investors in May, has a certain panache that earns it a Gold rating.

Consider the fund’s contrarian investment style. For one thing, it seeks strong, growing businesses that are trading cheaply--sometimes due to bad news. For another, some emerging-markets stocks spice up its portfolio. It takes fortitude and patience to stick with companies that have stumbled or to invest off the beaten path, but the Dodge & Cox team has plenty of both traits. Here, a nine-member investment committee works together to invest consistently. It includes some of the firm’s most senior investors and draws upon a group of talented analysts--many of whom are steeped in the Dodge & Cox process because they’ve spent their entire careers at the firm.

With the fund in such good hands, performance has been outstanding. Its longest-tenured managers have been in place since May 2001, and the fund’s total return since then lands in the upper echelon of its peer group. Yes, its against-the-grain picks can add volatility, but the managers have handled it well.

With a skilled investment team, a time-tested approach, and competitive fees, this fund is a fine package deal.