In a numbers-running vein, we were drawn to this thinkadvisor.com story headlined Mutual Fund Performance in Q2 Barely in the Black: Lipper , with the subhead Global stocks beat U.S. equities in the second quarter; mixed-asset funds head into the red. Excerpts from the piece:
“Equity funds had their third consecutive quarterly gain in the second quarter of 2015, according to Lipper data. For many fund groups and categories, though, the gains were limited.
“Overall, equity funds improved just 0.1% in the second quarter. World equity funds, however, rose by 1.22%, which outpaced U.S. diversity-equity funds’ weak 0.03% increase.
“Mixed-asset funds, other the other hand, weakened 0.7%, while sector equity funds declined 1.8%.
“Some of the period’s most stellar returns were posted by the commodities energy fund group, up more than 9%, while China funds rose nearly 8%. Health care/biotech funds improved roughly 5%; Japan funds ticked up about 4%.
“As for laggards, real estate funds stood out, with a drop of 9%. Utilities weakened 4%, as did India funds.
“As for U.S. diversified equity funds, which ticked up just 0.03% on average in Q2, small-cap growth funds outperformed the broader group with a 2% uptick. Large-cap growth funds rose 0.6%. Small-cap value funds, though, weakened 0.5%, and equity income funds fell 1%.
“Year to date, U.S. diversified equity funds are up 2.53% as of June 30. They are being outpaced by world equity funds, which have improved 4.7% so far this year. Mixed-asset funds have a return of 1.3% for the first six months of 2015.”