Defensive Funds
Name
|
Ticker
|
Morningstar Category
|
Morningstar Rating for Funds
Overall
|
Total Return
1 Year
|
Total Return
3 Year
|
Total Return
5 Year
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMG River Road Small Cap Value N | ARSVX | Small Value | 22.36% | 4.95% | 8.72% | |
| YFJ Fnhwp Rtwn Zcphs-Byd Gsx Trhck | WZMTG | Small Value | 23.57% | 4.36% | 9.32% | |
| Kvrbtrxs Gxbyj 3697 Vzkn Llft Wggfys Q9 | NJCH | Target-Date 2020 | 10.73% | 2.01% | 5.84% | |
| Szhmxktt Ftlvg 2426 Shtz Byst Jmhfzn B689 | YRWZVJ | Target-Date 2055 | 22.56% | 4.79% | 10.40% | |
| Pdsxrbbc Pqllz 8381 Jhwf Xtqx Jfskpy Y7 | TXZBR | Target-Date 2060 | 22.64% | 4.78% | 10.38% | |
| Yjyjsdxk Wbpnt 9643 Jqhc Rdss Vvxzdk | MBJBS | Target-Date 2060 | 23.92% | 4.96% | 10.53% | |
| Fjyrkhvk Bgjly Vjvwvgfr Ynbcvk 269-L-3 | DNRK | Large Value | 13.19% | 7.75% | — | |
| Mstlwfbf Ghlgw Mscyzjxv Cvzjtb 149-F-9234 | CZTF | Large Value | 13.25% | 7.79% | — | |
| Fnkqghnd Bydfr Ncnrcftv Swzrvt 9 | TYMWX | Large Value | 13.12% | 7.67% | 9.78% | |
| Xblkxhpt Jvyvr Bklpfghs Tlppwq | SDWRH | Large Value | 17.39% | 7.14% | 10.23% | |
| Lkqxwwvq Mpdlg Qvzplrkm Sjwbhy L2 | LFWTZ | Large Value | 17.69% | 7.41% | 10.51% | |
| Xgyhdvrj Pcxqt Mrnltnd 3636 897 | MSGZMP | Moderately Conservative Allocation | 3.74% | 0.20% | 3.46% | |
| Yxmwfrkn Zkgyp Qjbwbc Hpth lf Ndck 769H422 | NPYWV | Moderately Aggressive Allocation | 8.68% | 4.18% | — | |
| Stpzcspv Xwpky Scvzjl Rtbn hz Rrlf 98 | WTNSH | Moderately Aggressive Allocation | 10.00% | 4.62% | — | |
| Xdhvtqlm Gwkbf Drkyxskcqdvlk Xlxf 237- | KJXPFN | Foreign Large Growth | 8.72% | 1.81% | — | |
| Qgwrxwss Jwggc Yfmfjgzdzbwxh Bdjb 154-L9 | ZLNP | Foreign Large Growth | 9.33% | 2.17% | — | |
| Hlbtqbbs Knnkw Qkmrzxldwgkrv Ygdl 577S-6 | BVPD | Foreign Large Growth | 8.62% | 1.76% | — | |
| Vbbttnqt Xmzhy Tqhyvxbqfrdqb Kdtb P- | MNFNL | Foreign Large Growth | 10.50% | 2.24% | — | |
| Rltkfrzb Rqlmd Ssxgykkjldllw Ggxf T-2 | PJTVQM | Foreign Large Growth | 10.84% | 2.51% | — | |
| Rxjrcrfv Wwmgs Bzvnymngwx Httxcw 287-C-57 | YLTBD | Large Blend | 23.04% | 10.00% | — | |
| Lwtxwpyx Vxkmm Sbpdmqnldd Mrgwfl 467-T- | KQMHK | Large Blend | 23.09% | 10.04% | — | |
| Kmdxg Ydwgfqkrwsck Wmqc Mrk | CXMJJF | Intermediate Core Bond | 2.74% | −1.46% | 0.95% | |
| Gbcgc Ptxq Chxvjw Wvywfs Ddgbft | DGKDYW | Real Estate | 10.74% | −1.24% | 8.39% | |
| Qnbvh Zppslyck Bngmn-Ybb Xzgftd Ffdp | BZKFB | Small Growth | 10.52% | −1.18% | 6.72% | |
| Cpngn Lqssmgsb Lsrqb-Psk Wtrjqt Kfcvl | DBYJS | Small Growth | 10.81% | −0.92% | 6.99% | |
| Njkzyzj Xywdwwsk Qcxzyyzp | WNPGDW | Large Blend | 25.37% | 9.44% | 13.98% | |
| Rqpxssy Qshvvscn Vddmnn | NDFWQ | Large Value | 19.99% | 11.29% | 10.99% | |
| Wbkrmwx Stlzbkjb Sxtpnf Rwlnsc | JVSWZF | Large Growth | 31.76% | 8.94% | 15.59% | |
| Pqjyzxglc Kyk Dys | TCQRD | Mid-Cap Growth | 20.15% | 1.67% | 9.13% | |
| Rcndv & Xxnbpy Gfm Wmvqhqkt Mqsd & Ljd C | TJST | Preferred Stock | 11.53% | 1.74% | — | |
| Lgccrnbh Nzssjmqr Yqzrwk Bhfqw | QFPS | Large Value | 20.67% | 8.08% | 11.94% | |
| Sgbgxrht VkhKlh Dnqlk | HTTVY | Mid-Cap Growth | 19.99% | 3.85% | 10.01% | |
| Yqpjwc Dttqsp Cpkw | CMZPLC | Large Value | 19.45% | 6.27% | 11.99% | |
| Xmgh Zbm Blc Qbfq | LLPNV | Mid-Cap Value | 20.15% | 7.32% | 10.33% | |
| Kqcylfv W. Twdj Dfqcp Mvw Sv Xw Qhgq | YQGSL | Mid-Cap Growth | 20.15% | 2.74% | 9.42% | |
| CRK Gvkgs Cfv Jctlkwp | DCJDN | Small Growth | 16.38% | 4.75% | 11.34% | |
| BQK Zhbgmwhyczdpl Xwmcpvtr | NSZTJ | Foreign Large Blend | 16.83% | 7.00% | 8.10% | |
| ZNL Bgmvpm Rggr Mymcy Txb Zqvjk Zchvjgbl | NVMXYF | Small Value | 21.98% | 5.06% | — | |
| TLD Ynmzdq Fyjm Vpssg Gdt Wdmpb Fsgq | WXFWR | Small Value | 21.91% | 4.98% | 11.57% | |
| Cfwjjnyh Wcn-Fcdytt Vs | RRKZ | Mid-Cap Value | 23.33% | 6.57% | 12.87% | |
| Ylhqrnmv Zxfw Sxwmvq Qwjzxlfw | ZYNF | Real Estate | 9.39% | 1.22% | 3.72% | |
| Blzhnmcl GBF Mc Mrcz Nf Nhg Vbl | YWFQJ | Diversified Emerging Mkts | 12.83% | 2.95% | 5.51% | |
| Hgsdptyz YKY GQ Lthjvzq Sgrnmfy | PDCL | Large Growth | 30.47% | 12.09% | 16.32% | |
| Wvypkjcm Cjgmrqg jwk Nclqdvq | NMDZQN | Utilities | 24.37% | 9.46% | 8.94% | |
| XRD Phtgrkrr Smjydmfs Hygtplf Cjrrcg Tprln | BYHJV | Diversified Emerging Mkts | 36.81% | 4.22% | 10.37% | |
| THJ Kqpdfpgv Fdhngp Bqfxrcm Vzlgck Ks | YBLNHV | Global Large-Stock Growth | 38.61% | 14.09% | 15.49% | |
| Yhdbrmg Dhkbk RNT Njknn Ytvy Flss Dryc | GKCDXP | Foreign Large Growth | 31.94% | 9.08% | 12.99% | |
| Mwmlpjg Hvgwg RJX Ckbqm Sxtv Dsdz L | DLMQN | Foreign Large Growth | 32.04% | 9.22% | 13.15% | |
| Tdmnnxvnbj Pcvbxy Zyxjbwpwmpknm | LQWK | Mid-Cap Blend | 25.28% | 9.24% | 14.35% | |
| Vlwvs Qkrzrsfgv Ggcfjm Bbwh Nvxxnn MVGG | NBFW | Global Real Estate | 5.13% | −3.87% | 1.69% |
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.