Load Clones of the Kip 25

In compiling this list of our favorite funds, we deliberately excluded load versions of funds that appear in the Kiplinger 25, the list of our favorite no-load funds. Obviously, we approve of these load funds, too.

Will Danoff’s no-load Fidelity Contrafund (FCNTX) has a near-copy in Fidelity Advisor New Insights A (FNIAX). One of the best large-company growth managers of his generation, Danoff recently held large positions in tech stocks, such as Google and Apple, and consumer companies, including McDonald’s.

Selected American S (SLASX), a longtime member of the Kiplinger 25, is a near-clone of Davis New York Venture A (NYVTX). Chris Davis and Ken Feinberg manage both funds, which focus on large, growing companies that sell at attractive prices. Recently, the funds’ largest stock holdings were Berkshire Hathaway, Occidental Petroleum and Wells Fargo.

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Marsico Global (MGLBX), a no-load fund, is a mirror image of Columbia Marsico Global A (COGAX). These funds are a compilation of the best ideas from Marsico’s domestic and international funds. Two of the largest positions are in JPMorgan Chase and Vestas Wind Systems of Denmark, the world’s leading maker of wind turbines.

Pimco funds are tricky because they come in load and no-load versions. For example, Pimco CommodityRealReturn Strategy D (PCRDX), which tracks an index of 19 commodities, is a no-load share class of the same fund’s Class A shares (PCRAX). Harbor Bond (HABDX), a Kip 25 member, is a close replica of Bill Gross’s Pimco Total Return A (PTTAX), a bond fund with an outstanding long-term record.