| Scorecard |
|---|
|
3 / 5 Stars
|
|
Lipper
4
4
3
4
5
|
|
Zacks Investment Research
1
(Strong Buy)
|
|
Standard & Poor's
3 / 5 Stars
|
|
TheStreet.com
C+
(Hold)
|
#103 in Large Blend
U.S. News evaluated 498 Large Blend Funds. Our list highlights the top-rated funds for long-term investors based on the ratings of leading fund industry researchers.
Performance
The fund has returned 22.10 percent over the past year, 10.04 percent over the past three years, 3.65 percent over the past five years, and 9.32 percent over the past decade.
| Trailing Returns | Updated 04.30.2013 |
|---|---|
| Year to date | 13.7% |
| 1 Year | 22.1% |
| 3 Years (Annualized) | 10.0% |
| 5 Years (Annualized) | 3.6% |
| 10 Years (Annualized) | 9.3% |
Summary
Dreyfus Strategic Value has built up an outstanding long-term record.
As of May 03, 2013, the fund has assets totaling almost $1.20 billion invested in 85 different holdings. Its portfolio consists primarily of shares of large companies.
Lately, management has been optimistic about the energy sector. Notably, as of the end of January, two of the fund's top three holdings were energy companies. For the most part, this approach has worked out, as both of those companies--Occidental Petroleum Corporation and Schlumberger Limited--put together solid performances in 2010. The fund has also been overweight to financial companies, with its positions in MetLife and Wells Fargo paying off handsomely last year. Its stake in Bank of America, meanwhile, has been a disappointment. Still, these aren't sector bets in the traditional sense, since they're the result of bottom-up rather than top-down stock selection, meaning that the fund's management builds the portfolio stock by stock and without predetermined sector quotas. Overall, the fund had a solid 2010, keeping pace with the S&P 500 and the average for Morningstar's large-value category. The fund has returned 22.10 percent over the past year and 10.04 percent over the past three years.
Historically, the fund has been an excellent performer. As of the end of the first quarter, the fund was returning an average of 8.5 percent per year over the trailing 15-year period. That's largely a tribute to management's steady approach. While the fund has rarely achieved earth-shattering returns in any given year, it's also avoided disasters. The fund has returned 3.65 percent over the past five years and 9.32 percent over the past decade.
Investment Strategy
The fund uses basic quantitative screens (including price-to-earnings and price-to-sales ratios) to look for stocks with attractive valuations. Meanwhile, management further narrows the fund's universe by insisting on solid business models and positive momentum. Positions are built from the bottom up.
Role in Portfolio
Morningstar calls the fund a "core" holding.
Management
Brian Ferguson manages the fund.
