Barron’s has published its annual Best Fund Families rankings, and we are proud to be ranked #2 overall out of 48 for 2024.
Out of 48 fund families, Sit Mutual Funds ranked:
These rankings are based on performance for the 2024 calendar year. Additionally, our firm holds the #1 overall out of 46 for the past 5 years and is #8 overall out of 46 for the past 10 years.
The full article is available on online.
An achievement that reflects our team’s expertise and focus on delivering strong results. Looking forward to another strong year ahead.
Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
Barron’s rankings are based on asset-weighted returns in five categories – general equity funds; world equity funds; mixed asset funds; taxable bond funds; and tax-exempt bond funds as calculated by LSEG Lipper. Barron’s did not include 12b-1 fees, fund loads, or sales charges in calculating returns. Each fund’s return was measured against those of all funds in its Lipper category, resulting in a percentile ranking which was then weighted by asset size, relative to the fund family’s other assets in its general classification. If a family’s biggest funds do well, that boosts its overall ranking; poor performance in its biggest funds hurts a firm’s ranking. To be included in the ranking, a firm must have at least three funds in the general equity category, one world equity, one mixed equity (such as a balanced or target-date fund), two taxable bond funds, and one national tax-exempt bond fund. Single-sector and country equity funds are factored into the rankings as general equity. Barron’s excludes all passive index funds, including pure index, enhanced index, and index-based, but includes actively managed ETFs and smart-beta ETFs, which are passively managed but created from active strategies. Finally, the score is multiplied by the weighting of its general classification, as determined by the entire LSEG Lipper universe of funds.
June 9, 2025
The S&P 500 Index rallied by almost +16 percent from its year-to-date low on April 8 through the end of May as President Trump repeatedly backed away from his more onerous tariff threats. With a worst-case tariff scenario likely averted, the risk of a self-inflicted recession has receded. Nonetheless, the President’s erratic policymaking and subsequent federal court injunctions, as he pushes the boundaries of executive authority to achieve his agenda, have kept economic policy uncertainty near a record high. The persistent uncertainty is stifling growth prospects as businesses reduce capital spending and hiring intentions until clarity improves. Consumer spending has remained resilient but is poised to downshift, possibly sharply, as unemployment rises, wage growth slows, and higher inflation dents real incomes.
We suspect many investors view 2025 as a “wash” (or a transition year), and are positioning for better growth prospects in 2026 and beyond, with upside from fiscal stimulus, monetary easing, deregulation, trade deals, and a possible resurgence in capital spending. At the same time, tariffs and immigration restrictions may cap real GDP growth potential at sub-2.0 percent, with anything above that adding to inflationary pressures in the absence of better productivity. In addition, with the equity risk premium near historic lows (and U.S. equity market capitalization at nearly 200 percent of GDP), the market is ill-prepared for major economic disappointments or another exogenous shock.
We remain focused on picking stocks with secular drivers that can outperform regardless of the stage of the business cycle. We continue to add to positions in select software stocks, many of which remain below prior highs. Solid demand for productivity-enhancing software will continue even as economic growth slows. We also continue to favor banks. Loan growth, net interest margins, and credit remain stable, and we expect banks to benefit from a looming pick-up in M&A activity and capital relief via deregulation. Moreover, portfolio holdings emphasize industrial companies in power, aerospace, and automation that possess strong fundamentals. Lastly, we are underweight consumer stocks – sentiment indicators are under pressure, job
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Founded in 1981 by Eugene C. Sit, Sit Investment Associates has grown from $1 million in working capital to managing over $16.9 billion in assets. Our success is rooted in our commitment to ethics, performance, and long-term client relationships. We remain one of the largest independent, minority-owned investment firms in the United States.
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Carefully consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses before investing. The prospectus contains this and other important Fund information and may be obtained by calling Sit Mutual Funds at 1-800-332-5580 or by downloading them from the Documents page. Read the prospectus carefully before investing. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares when redeemed may be worth more or less than their original cost.
The content herein is for informational purposes only without regard to any particular user’s investment objectives, risk tolerances or financial situation and does not constitute investment advice, nor should it be considered a solicitation or offering to sell securities or an interest in any fund.
Opinions and statements of financial market trends that are based on current market conditions constitute our judgment and are subject to change without notice. We believe the information provided here is reliable but should not be assumed to be accurate or complete. The views and strategies described may not be suitable for all investors, and readers should not rely on this publication as their sole source of investment information.
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