What makes these funds Special

While there are thousands of listed mutual funds, with agenda to professionally manage the investors money, only few funds stands out and deliver exceptional results. Though the outperformance could be a generalisation, their fund management varies widely. Here we analyze a few funds that would give more clarity on how these funds are managed and why they outperformed while their peers failed to do so.

HDFC Top 200 Fund: This name is now synonymous with equity mutual funds. Following are some of the highlights of the fund:
1. This fund was launched in 1996.
2. For past 16 years, this fund has delivered an annualized return of 22%.
3. In other words, Rs.1,00,000 invested in 1996 is today worth Rs.24,00,000+
4. Due to this tremendous performance, this fund is hugely popular with total money being managed at Rs.11,190 Crores - making them the biggest managed equity fund in India.
3. The fund is managed by Mr.Prasanth Jain who has been handing the funds portfolio for quiet long.
4. The fund invests in companies from BSE200.
5. The fund management's invesment conviction has been phenomenal : Like not investing in Technology sector in 2000's and investing in Financials in 2007.
6. More than 50% of the fund is invested in Financial(25.59%), Energy(16.61%) and FMCG(11.84%).
7. The fund stays fully invested in equities.
8. The fund's ability to control the fall much lesser than other funds in its category is its speciality.
9. Given its huge size, there is natural doubt over the fund managers ability to manage such huge corpus. But the fund management has proven capable to far.
10. This fund needs to be part of your long term portfolio.

UTI Dividend Yield Fund:1. This is yet another fund with steady long term record.
2. Launched in 2005, this fund is managed buy Mrs.Swathi Kulkarni.
3. Proven downside protection and ability to turnaround and bounce back faster when market recovers.
4. Predominant exposure to largecap stocks and high dividend yielding midcap stocks.
5. The fund invests 65% to 100% funds in high dividend yield equities and equity related instruments.
6. Significant exposure to public sector companies, cement, oil & gas and fertilizer stocks.
7. During the crash in 2008-2009, this fund maintained 19% cash portfolio - thereby minimizing the impact of market crash.
8. Manages Rs.3541 Crores of money.
9. Has declared 17 dividends since inception.
10. This fund is ideal for conservative investor.

UTI Opportunities Fund :
1. Has consistent performance for past five years.
2. Invests in 4-5 sectors of the economy that are expected to outperform.
3. Managed by Mr.Anoop baskar, who was ex-fundmanager of Sundaram select midcap.
4. In 2008-2009 crash, the fund moved to cash as high as 35%.
5. Similarly in 2011, the fund reduced its exposure to banks on concerns over rising NPA's, but as soon as the valuation got attractive , the fund increased its exposure to banking and financial service secgors.
6. Benchmarked asgainst BSE 100, this fund is for bit agressive investor who believe in timing the market and the fundmanagers exceptional ability to be street smart.
7. Investors need to bear in mind that you always dont win heads when you toss a coin.

TATA Pure Equity Fund:1. This fund invests in fundamentally strong but undervalued largecap companies.
2. This fund follows contraratian style of fund management.
3. Launched in 1998, this fund is managed by Mr.Pradeep Gokhale.
4. This fund delivered superb returns of 141% in 2003 and 166% in 1999.
5. In eight out of past 14 years this fund has beaten the sensex performance.
6. This fund delivers returns in line with the sensex returns, but not big outperformance.
7. This fund manages Rs.554 Crores as on June 2012.