Top Flexible Balanced Funds

Today we are featuring top-performing "Flexible" balanced mutual funds, which primarily seek income or total return through investment in stocks, bonds, or cash to any extent.

Investors can find such funds by checking out the entire list of the Zacks #1 Rank Flexible Balanced Funds.

3 Solid Picks

Franklin Real Return A (FRRAX) seeks to achieve total return that exceeds the rate of inflation over an economic cycle.

The fund generally invests a substantial portion of its assets in inflation-protected securities. It also has the flexibility to invest in other sectors of the market to increase real return (total return less inflation) potential and offer greater diversification.

T. Anthony Coffey has been lead manager at the fund since its inception in November 2004. The fund has an expense ratio of 0.90%.

Berwyn Income (BERIX) was incepted in September 1987. The fund is designed for investors, who want a high level of current income while maintaining some potential for capital appreciation.

While the majority of its portfolio is invested in bonds, the fund may invest up to 30% of its assets in dividend-paying common stocks. Its balanced, income-oriented approach affords a greater level of price stability than an all equity portfolio.

Unit holders have to make a minimum initial investment of $3,000 to enter this Zacks#1 Rank ("Strong Buy") fund. The fund distributes dividends and capital gains, if any, annually.

Gabelli ABC (GABCX) seeks total returns that are attractive to investors in various market conditions without excessive risk of capital loss. The fund is non-diversified.

The fund primarily invests in securities of domestic and foreign issuers that are expected to yield opportunities for appreciation or investment income. It may invest in value-oriented common stocks, convertible securities and virtually risk-free U.S. Treasury Bills.

The fund's top holdings include Wyeth (WYE), Schering-Plough Corp. (SGP) and CV Therapeutics Inc. (CVTX). The fund has outperformed the total returns of its benchmark index in the last 1-, 3- and 5-year periods.

Discover Many More Funds

Learn more about the new Zacks Mutual Fund Rank and discover some of the best market-beating mutual funds by browsing our new mutual funds section. This part of Zacks.com offers a variety of tools, including mutual fund research, a new mutual fund screener, helpful answers to frequently asked questions and quick access to prospectuses and other information.

By applying the Zacks Rank to mutual funds, investors can find funds that not only outpaced the market in the past but are also expected to outperform going forward.