06/17/96 TABLE: The World's Best Investments Through Funds

The World's Best Investments Through Funds

FUND TOTAL RETURN 1996* TECHNOLOGY PBHG TECHNOLOGY & 31.9% Fund is only 8 months old, but its COMMUNICATIONS management has shown expertise at high-tech investing in its other funds. T. ROWE PRICE 13.1% Broad-based portfolio includes not SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY only producers of technology but also those companies that apply it profitably. SELIGMAN HENDERSON 10.5% The average technology fund has less GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY A than 10% of its investments overseas. This one has nearly 40%. UNITED SCIENCE & 18.1% Profitable stakes in ``Internet'' TECHNOLOGY A stocks such as Ascend Communications made this fund a winner. Includes software and computer services, too. NATURAL RESOURCES T. ROWE PRICE NEW ERA 13.3% Granddaddy of resource-based funds: Its manager has 17 years' experience. Holdings include energy, forest products, chemicals, and precious metals. FIDELITY SELECT 10.6% Invests in producers and distributors PORTFOLIOS--INDUSTRIAL of industrial mater ials. Manager MATERIALS finds stocks by studying trends in commodity prices. Now, big on aluminum and nickel companies. UNITED SERVICES 19.1% A small fund with investments in GLOBAL RESOURCES energy, chemicals, paper, and precious metals. Includes giants such as Exxon along with little-known gold miners. VANGUARD SPECIALIZED 13.7% No highflier, but it rarely PORTFOLIOS--ENERGY disappoints. Invests in everything from Big Oil to little drillers. Low fund expenses a plus, too. EMERGING MARKETS ROBERTSON STEPHENS 24.4% Like most others, its invests in Asia DEVELOPING COUNTRIES and Latin America. But it also takes a stand in Eastern Europe, which many funds often overlook. TEMPLETON DEVELOPING 15.2% Manager J. Mark Mobius was investing in MARKETS I these markets years before the rest of the fund world discovered them. VANGUARD INTL. EQUITY 14.9% No Mobius here. Just a pre-set buy INDEX EMERGING MARKETS list. Benefits from portfolio expenses at least 1.5% a year lower than the average emerging-markets fund. WARBURG PINCUS 16.1% Manager Richard King finished first EMERGING MARKETS COMMON among all diversified emerging-markets funds in 1995--with a 17.4% return. The average fund was down 3.7% INCOME CGM REALTY 7.6% Invests mainly in real estate investment trusts (REITs), which offer bond-like yields now and a chance for dividend growth later as rental income goes up. LINDNER DIVIDEND 8.2% Tries to pay dividends two percentage points higher than Treasury bills. Mixes stocks, bonds, convertibles, preferreds, and private placements. NORTHEAST INVESTORS 8.8% High-yield bonds make some sense TRUST with interest rates under pressure. A better economy improves the credit quality--and prices--for the junk. SCUDDER EMERGING 12.7% An income play on the rebound in the MARKETS INCOME emerging markets for those who don't mind the risk. The yield is now 10.7%. Capital gains are possible, too, as these markets improve. *Appreciation plus reinvestment of dividend and capital gains before taxes, Jan. 1-May 31, 1996 DATA: MORNINGSTAR INC., BW