Top European Equity Funds

Today we are featuring top-performing "European" equity mutual funds, which primarily invest in equity securities of companies based in Europe.

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

3 Solid Samples

ING European Real Estate Fund A (IAERX) seeks to provide investors with high total return, consisting of capital appreciation and current income. It was incepted in November 2007.

The fund normally invests at least 80% of net assets in a portfolio of equity securities of real estate companies located in Europe. The fund may invest in convertible securities, initial public offering and depositary receipts.

The fund has an expense ratio of 1.75%. As of July 2009, it has a portfolio turnover of 166%.

Steven D. Burton has been lead manager of the fund since November 2007. Burton is a managing director at ING and has 24 years investment experience.

T. Rowe Price European Stock (PRESX) seeks long-term growth of capital through investments primarily in the common stocks of companies in the emerging market countries of Europe and the Mediterranean region. It was incepted in August 2000.

The fund invests in stocks of companies in emerging European and Mediterranean economies, including Eastern Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the former Soviet Union. It may purchase the stocks of companies of any size, but focuses primarily on large and medium-sized companies in these regions.

The fund has an expense ratio of 1.94%. As of April 2009, it has a portfolio turnover of 51.8%.

S. Leigh Robertson has been lead manager of the fund since September 2007. Robertson is a vice president of T. Rowe Price Group and has been with the firm since 2002.

DFA Continental Small Company (DFCSX) seeks long-term capital appreciation. It was incepted in April 1988.

The fund pursues its objective by investing in a broad range of readily marketable stocks of small companies that are traded principally in the securities markets of certain European countries. As a non-fundamental policy the fund invests most of its net assets in securities companies located in continental Europe

Shareholders have to make a minimum initial investment of $100,000 to enter this Zacks #1 Rank ("Strong Buy") fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.15%.

Karen E. Umland has been Lead Manager of the fund since 31-Dec-98. Umland has been with Dimensional since 1993 and is a vice president with the firm.

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 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.