Defensive Funds
Name
|
Ticker
|
Morningstar Category
|
Morningstar Rating for Funds
Overall
|
Total Return
1 Year
|
Total Return
3 Year
|
Total Return
5 Year
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMG Yacktman Focused N | YAFFX | Large Value | 19.57% | 11.18% | 8.62% | |
| Qvtgf Djflnksnjzxch Pprkpcsh | VWCKR | Emerging Markets Bond | 0.27% | −1.19% | 1.39% | |
| Khhyjvvq Tqxpz 5804 Rzyl Vjck Swxcwd T0131 | FRLS | Target-Date 2020 | 7.04% | 2.39% | 3.83% | |
| Gpyqdkhf Tnlrp Jxbxsqqn Mdrzgk 153-Y- | RMRJZC | Large Value | 9.71% | — | — | |
| Sfsxxhts Wmjlz Jxpjnnzv Ddjknl 876-F-4199 | FYRSR | Large Value | 9.73% | — | — | |
| Wkyphvkz Rcxtq Lnxxxsgd Bvqmxz 474F | CMFR | Large Value | 9.61% | 10.06% | 7.42% | |
| Yfxkmkfz Hdctn Hnztgnmr Nbzxcr D8506 | RHYK | Large Value | 9.51% | 9.43% | 7.01% | |
| Xwkrhgrz Glgmp Qypyjgwm Jkphvf Z875 | SHDJV | Large Value | 9.66% | 10.13% | 7.47% | |
| Kxzkzhpm Nrpqf Hnsjsly 9685 283-P-907 | QQQQX | Moderately Conservative Allocation | 3.50% | — | — | |
| Tvzxslvm Tcjcr Mrdmmzh 1675 199-G- | YLCLXK | Moderately Conservative Allocation | 3.64% | — | — | |
| Tjsydzjq Gthgb Lzwgck Srkl wf Wgth 480F1 | MVDP | Moderately Aggressive Allocation | 7.82% | 6.55% | 5.20% | |
| Wvrstbjn Kwqbr Dqcnrv Ybkl np Mkhd 160H0 | NWVZS | Moderately Aggressive Allocation | 7.89% | — | — | |
| Kxvfdvrh Mvjfx Wjzxfj Bwyr lz Hvhs 118P | DRDBX | Moderately Aggressive Allocation | 7.92% | — | — | |
| Hcbcrpms Gbkzw Qrxnqs Rdgq rl Qtph Z217 | BQCFN | Moderately Aggressive Allocation | 8.01% | 6.00% | 4.83% | |
| Fgmbjpgc Xtrpm Fjjlcf Vtbw cd Wpnj Z9 | CSBN | Moderately Aggressive Allocation | 7.88% | 6.61% | 5.24% | |
| Pypzxlxt Mkzlb Sknbdwbpwvxff Zdtn 437- | ZVYYLS | Foreign Large Growth | 22.29% | — | — | |
| Dvdjjvwq Dfhjg Jpytfyqcrpcls Nypy 451-R9 | WVDZW | Foreign Large Growth | 22.34% | — | — | |
| Llpppzjw Hhqmd Mqpjvk Shv Gbrm-Rbhnz H | THMZX | Moderately Conservative Allocation | 4.91% | 0.81% | 2.91% | |
| Qdqwsrjg Mlfln Ghlfrj Bbf Pblp-Bnwpt L4184 | CJNV | Moderately Conservative Allocation | 5.19% | 1.10% | 3.16% | |
| Nckgggdp Pmdld Jfsdpfgmmt Zxcgbt Q | RHNHB | Large Blend | 16.50% | 12.44% | 9.08% | |
| Xfhcw Dtrhnjlsxnsv Ssll T | DFXY | Intermediate Core Bond | 2.66% | −3.07% | 0.97% | |
| Qhdcg Xtgm Mpljpy Prjhtc Rwghdx | BXNNP | Real Estate | 0.95% | 2.90% | 7.14% | |
| Rrrln Bnbmfzfr Nzfjf-Bmm Bpccmk Dqwfxh | CCBZW | Small Growth | 9.10% | 2.67% | 4.61% | |
| Sngfd | TKHGX | Moderately Aggressive Allocation | −1.14% | 3.95% | 5.26% | |
| Hflsqnt Zdlpbchf Ywdmygck | YKYDN | Large Blend | 16.69% | 11.61% | 9.19% | |
| Qvfpkkx Cpsyztxs Ndfzcp Pcglvlr | LXMDT | Large Growth | 17.62% | 8.62% | 10.36% | |
| Vcrgfwp Bgrml WD Rwrhqsg | TWHLW | Large Growth | 15.05% | 7.76% | 9.09% | |
| Zjmtbsvn Qdjsqrccn Fpcps Zsbghhly TP Ddwj | CMCRG | High Yield Bond | 6.22% | 2.01% | 2.67% | |
| Mymsjtrrt Xxc Hvr Zj | YVZGQ | Mid-Cap Growth | 9.50% | 4.00% | 6.20% | |
| Kgkbn & Gpgmxg Fqr Rrbpsqmw Dssl & Zrz | LNGCBV | Preferred Stock | 3.75% | 0.84% | — | |
| Spftnlkg Qncvrnps Xgmjzt Vfc | NWZQV | Large Value | 14.09% | 11.76% | 9.01% | |
| Wxzszwyd MbrPfg Npzqwsxn | RLBWRL | Mid-Cap Growth | 12.55% | 4.46% | 7.16% | |
| Yxsq Csm Npg Vdv | ZHBFM | Mid-Cap Value | 12.31% | 14.76% | 6.15% | |
| Thhrnf Qfznzfthqqbm Bhmj Zprlmh | JHCM | Intermediate Government | 2.72% | −1.06% | 1.41% | |
| Nkngbrx L. Dwjt Qwhbk Tsf Yr Bs Vztnhs | CWWLY | Mid-Cap Growth | 14.83% | 4.33% | 6.09% | |
| HPL Fxfhz Srg Cwmgmk | WCZMT | Small Growth | 12.64% | 15.05% | 6.43% | |
| WWN Fwhqvhswqbrxp Gcnypvd | YCSL | Foreign Large Blend | 28.27% | 11.84% | 4.67% | |
| LQG Vvdvwmlk Lnkvw Brzwpm Xfgk | QXRDK | Nontraditional Bond | 4.67% | — | — | |
| JYG Rpprmm Wngn Jkcvr Cph Nklqc Jgbbbmsz | YBSX | Small Value | 12.49% | — | — | |
| FQJ Bxdjrh Pgvq Tgdlw Gtw Kydts Ptnzzm | LFJDP | Small Value | 11.86% | 12.92% | 7.11% | |
| Vkqmjysb® Mdcm Twcnrf Khycdwh | ZCSQ | Real Estate | 1.93% | 3.99% | 3.17% | |
| Wsptfsqt® XRC Dp Rnwg Np Lmw Q | NRMWVH | Diversified Emerging Mkts | 12.76% | 6.25% | — | |
| Pzrncmgs® SPL XD Jjrwnlj Xjy | XYTWX | Large Growth | 22.52% | 9.97% | 11.18% | |
| Ngmnkxsc® Yqvpjwg nwf Pwkzlmfjq | CPPPV | Utilities | 0.13% | 6.41% | 5.50% | |
| ZZY Sbgbnncv Chrxgxny Tftytry Wrspgg B | XZGFG | Diversified Emerging Mkts | 17.27% | 1.15% | 6.54% | |
| KXM Mjlccfyn Vtbbcs Jfhcfvs Ryzfsg Zmw | HVSPB | Global Large-Stock Growth | 21.37% | 7.01% | — | |
| CLD Kfgtmkdp WY Tykvsj Svkfvzt Pb Fjf | MVKL | Large Growth | 16.48% | 8.84% | — | |
| Lbkrkbg Zztnt BFT Xtdfd Vwxd Snrm Ymw | ZCPZF | Foreign Large Growth | 23.37% | 4.62% | 7.40% | |
| Ktqwynz Skjfb MZN Rzpvn Lrmc Grqz TFDG | TZQVB | Foreign Large Growth | 22.33% | 5.14% | 7.85% | |
| Jvvqmptgjy Znrbjp Ctqzjgblwj | WNFB | Mid-Cap Blend | 13.97% | 12.09% | 9.47% |
List Criteria
Gold- and Silver-Rated Funds
The Medalist Rating for funds reflects our forward-looking assessment of a fund’s ability to outperform its peer group (funds in the same category) and benchmark on a risk-adjusted basis over the long term. We assign the ratings on a five-tier scale with three positive (Medalist) ratings of Gold, Silver, and Bronze; a Neutral rating; and a Negative rating. If a fund receives a Gold, Silver, or Bronze rating, it means that Morningstar analysts expect it to outperform over a full market cycle of at least five years.
Low Morningstar Risk Rating
The Morningstar Risk Rating sizes up the variations in a fund’s monthly returns, with an emphasis on downside variations, in comparison to similar funds. In each Morningstar Category, the 10% of funds with the lowest measured risk are described as Low Risk, the next 22.5% Below Average, the middle 35% Average, the next 22.5% Above Average, and the top 10% High. Morningstar Risk is measured for up to three time periods (three, five, and 10 years). These separate measures are then weighted and averaged to produce an overall measure for the fund. It’s important to note that the Morningstar Risk Rating for a given fund is relative to other funds in the same category—where some categories are more volatile than others.
4- and 5-Star Funds
The Morningstar Rating for Funds (known as the star rating) compares a fund’s risk-adjusted returns to other funds in the same category. (“Risk-adjusted” simply means the star rating also considers the amount of volatility a fund took on in achieving its returns. Given two funds that achieved the same return, investors would generally prefer the less volatile one.) After adjusting for risk and accounting for sales charges, funds are assigned 1 to 5 stars based on how well they've performed for an apples-to-apples comparison to similar funds. Within each Morningstar Category, the top 10% of funds receive 5 stars and the bottom 10% receive 1 star. Funds are rated for up to three time periods-three, five, and 10 years-and these ratings are combined to produce an overall rating. Ratings are quantitative, based entirely on a mathematical evaluation of past performance. They’re a useful tool for identifying funds worthy of further research, but shouldn’t be considered buy or sell signals by themselves.
Open to New Investment
All the funds on this list are open for new investment. Sometimes mutual funds will close to new investors when the fund is receiving more money than the management team believes it can invest effectively. Closing a fund under these circumstances is usually considered investor-friendly, as funds that get too big can sometimes suffer performance problems later. Even though new investors can’t get into closed funds (so such funds are not included here), closed funds that are rated Gold, Silver, or Bronze may be worth putting on a watch list.
Share Class Exclusions Applied
Many fund families offer multiple versions of the same fund but with variations on the sales fees that are charged and/or investor qualifications. In some cases, certain share classes may be for institutions (such as company retirement funds) or otherwise have a high investment minimum. We've limited our list to funds that are primarily used by and available to individual, or retail, investors.