All-Star Fund is Back
Masters' Select International reopens to new investors.
Good news: A top-performing international fund is again accepting new customers. Masters' Select International, which offers exposure to a trove of experienced money managers, closed to new investors in October 2004 when it reached $1 billion in assets. Although assets are now approaching $2 billion, adviser Litman/Gregory says the fund has the capacity to take in more cash following a stretch of shareholder redemptions over the past 15 months. The firm is also shopping for a new manager to add to its all-star lineup. Before it closed, the fund had been a member of the Kiplinger 25.
Masters' Select International currently employs five seasoned stock pickers, who represent an array of investing strategies in a single package. The lineup includes Oakmark International's David Herro, Thornburg International Value's Bill Fries, Marsico International Opportunities' Jim Gendelman, Third Avenue International Value's Amit Wadhwaney and Mastholm Asset Management's Ted Tyson. Each manager contributes eight to 15 top choices to this fund.
Select International's long-term record is airtight. From its December 1997 launch through mid September, the fund returned an annualized 15%, or more than twice the gain of the MSCI EAFE index. It requires a $5,000 minimum initial investment and charges a relatively low annual fee of 1.06%.
