Only one fund specializes in the entire range of sin stocks. Vice fund, run by Charles Norton since September 2005, invests in alcohol, gaming, tobacco and defense. We hardly consider military-related companies to be sinful, but Norton includes them because they tend to run counter to general economic trends and because most socially screened funds -- polar opposites of his fund -- shun them. Top holdings include Altria, Diageo and British American Tobacco. Vice gained 21% in 2007 to December 10, compared with the S&P 500's 8% return. The $177-million fund (symbol VICEX) doesn't levy sales fees, but it charges a hefty annual fee of 1.75%.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | The Virtues of Vice Stocks |
| Row 1 - Cell 0 | Mutual Fund Center |
Dan Ahrens, former manager of Vice fund, now runs the tiny (assets of $3 million) Ladenburg Thalmann Gaming and Casino fund. The fund holds just 35 stocks, including Penn National Gaming, Las Vegas Sands and MGM Mirage. Since its March 2006 debut, performance has been as erratic as a floating craps game. In 2007 to December 10, the fund (GACFX) gained 3%. Annual fees are 1.70%.
So-called leisure funds and other specialized funds may also hold healthy doses of sin stocks. Geoff Kuli, manager of Fidelity Select Leisure since October 2006, hunts for reasonably priced, growing companies in the media, entertainment, cable, food and beverage industries. At last report, the fund (FDLSX) had about 15% of its $263 million of assets in gaming stocks. Select Leisure gained 9% in 2007 to December 10. About one-fourth of Rydex Leisure's $9 million in assets are in casino stocks. The fund (RYLIX) uses a formula to buy equal portions of stocks in the leisure sector. Over the past five years, it returned 14% annualized, beating the S&P 500 by an average of one percentage point per year.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Fidelity Select Consumer Staples recently kept 20% of its portfolio in alcohol and tobacco stocks. The fund (FDFAX), managed by Robert Lee since June 2004, has a three-year annualized return of 18%, which beat the S&P 500 by an average of seven percentage points per year.
-
What Is a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)?Tax Breaks A QCD can lower your tax bill while meeting your charitable giving goals in retirement. Here’s how.
-
Embracing Generative AI for Financial SuccessGenerative AI has the potential to reshape how we approach learning about and managing our personal finances.
-
Best Banks for High-Net-Worth Clients 2024wealth management These banks welcome customers who keep high balances in deposit and investment accounts, showering them with fee breaks and access to financial-planning services.
-
Stock Market Holidays in 2024 and 2025: NYSE, NASDAQ and Wall Street HolidaysMarkets When are the stock market holidays? Here, we look at which days the NYSE, Nasdaq and bond markets are off in 2024 and 2025.
-
Stock Market Trading Hours: What Time Is the Stock Market Open Today?Markets When does the market open? While the stock market does have regular hours, trading doesn't necessarily stop when the major exchanges close.
-
Bogleheads Stay the CourseBears and market volatility don’t scare these die-hard Vanguard investors.
-
The Current I-Bond Rate Until May Is Mildly Attractive. Here's Why.Investing for Income The current I-bond rate is active until November 2024 and presents an attractive value, if not as attractive as in the recent past.
-
What Are I-Bonds? Inflation Made Them Popular. What Now?savings bonds Inflation has made Series I savings bonds, known as I-bonds, enormously popular with risk-averse investors. So how do they work?
-
This New Sustainable ETF’s Pitch? Give Back Profits.investing Newday’s ETF partners with UNICEF and other groups.
-
As the Market Falls, New Retirees Need a Planretirement If you’re in the early stages of your retirement, you’re likely in a rough spot watching your portfolio shrink. We have some strategies to make the best of things.
