It's hard to hear the name Roosevelt Anti-Terror Multi-Cap and not think gimmick. Yet the fund has performed terrifically during its five and one-half years of existence, and its name just might reflect the next big thing in socially motivated investing.
In this context, anti-terror means shunning companies that conduct business with or in Iran, North Korea, Sudan or Syria -- nations that the U.S. considers abettors of terrorism. It's an idea that's catching on with pension funds and state governments across the country. Among the U.S. companies that have subsidiaries with ties to Iran, for example, is General Electric.
Roosevelt Investment Group, a New York City firm, started Bull Moose Growth in late 2001. Roosevelt president Adam Sheer says the firm changed the fund's name and focus in 2006 after some clients asked about terror-free investing (and because many didn't get the "bull moose" reference to Theodore Roosevelt's independent political party).
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Results have been anything but terrifying. Over the past five years to July 2, the fund (symbol BULLX) returned 16% annualized. That beats Standard & Poor's 500-stock index by an average of six percentage points per year.
Sheer says he looks for long-term trends that are not reflected in current stock prices. He then seeks firms of any size that fit the trend and aren't overvalued. One key force he sees today is steadily rising food prices. His favorite agriculture plays include Deere, Monsanto and Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan.
With only $20 million in assets, Roosevelt Anti-Terror has a lot of flexibility. Given its good returns, low minimum ($1,000), fair expenses (1.28% a year) and, of course, the anti-terrorism hook, it may not stay small for long.