Ivy and Waddell & Reed Advisors Funds Again Ranked Among Barron’s “Best Mutual Fund Families”

March 29, 2011 - PRLog -- Fund families among the top on five-year list for third year in a row  

Hampton Roads, Virginia, – For the third year in a row, Ivy Funds and Waddell & Reed Advisors Funds are among the top of the “Best Mutual Fund Families” over the last five years in an annual ranking published by Barron’s. The two fund families, both affiliates of Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. , also ranked among the top 10 fund families over the one-year period ended Dec. 31, 2010.

According to this year’s article, “Ivy Investment Management and Waddell & Reed, its sister company, remain a tough one-two punch over five years…” while the five-year rankings carry the headline, “Ivy just keeps growing.”

In the newspaper’s Feb. 7, 2011, issue, Ivy Funds ranked first and Waddell & Reed Advisors Funds ranked second in terms of performance over the five-year period ended Dec. 31, 2010, out of 53 fund families ranked.

“The industry recognition by Barron’s speaks volumes about our fundamentals-over-fads investment approach, highly skilled investment management team and the long-term results we bring to managing our clients’ portfolios”, said Jason Fekete, who manages the Waddell & Reed office in Hampton Roads, one of several in the region. “Waddell & Reed Advisors Funds and Ivy Funds play a key role in many of our client portfolios, and we’re pleased they have this affirmation about the quality of products that are helping them achieve their financial goals.”        

In last year’s rankings (published Feb. 1, 2010) Waddell & Reed Advisors Funds ranked first and Ivy Funds ranked second, over the five-year period ended Dec. 31, 2009, out of 54 fund families ranked. In the rankings published in 2009, Waddell & Reed Advisors Funds ranked first and Ivy Funds ranked third over the five-year period ended Dec. 31, 2008, out of 53 fund families ranked.

“Despite some volatility, 2010 was a good year for investors,” said Henry J. Herrmann, chairman and CEO of Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc., parent company to both fund families. “But, year to year, we’re very careful to take a global perspective and manage risks we see in the world financial markets as we manage our investors’ money. We have a responsibility to execute as best we can, and I think these rankings bear out the fact that our process has been effective over time.”

Over the most recent one-year period, Waddell & Reed Advisors ranked fifth, and Ivy Funds ranked ninth, out of 57 firms. Over the most recent 10 years, Ivy Funds ranked fifth and Waddell & Reed Advisors 28th, out of 46 firms, according to Barron’s.

Barron’s also breaks out several specific asset categories for separate one-year rankings, listing only the top five. Waddell & Reed Advisors ranked second in the U.S. equity funds category; Waddell & Reed Advisors and Ivy Funds ranked third and fourth, respectively, in the world equity funds category; and Ivy Funds and Waddell & Reed Advisors ranked second and third, respectively, in the tax-exempt bond funds category.

Barron’s rankings are based on asset-weighted returns in five categories: domestic equity, world equity (including international and global portfolios), mixed equity (stocks and bonds), taxable bonds and tax-exempt funds. Rankings also take into account an individual fund’s performance within its Lipper peer group. Sales charges are not included in the calculation of returns, and the ranking period included time periods during which some funds’ returns were affected by expense reduction arrangements.

Both the Waddell & Reed Advisors and Ivy Fund families offer a broad fund lineup covering all major asset categories, including international and domestic equity funds, specialty funds, fixed-income funds and money market funds.

Founded in 1937, Waddell & Reed has today grown to more than 250 registered offices nationwide. The company offers a wide array of investment products and services, as well as a variety of insurance products through arrangements with outside insurance companies. For more information about Waddell & Reed, or about financial services in general, contact Neeraj “Raj” Agarwal, MBA - http://www.rajagarwal.wrfa.com at 757 431 2929.




Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of a fund carefully before investing. For a prospectus, or if available, a summary prospectus, containing this and other information for any of the Waddell & Reed Advisors or Ivy Funds, call your financial advisor or visit http://www.waddell.com or http://www.ivyfunds.com.  Please read the prospectus or summary prospectus carefully before investing.

Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and it is possible to lose money by investing. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

Waddell & Reed Advisors Funds and Ivy Funds are distributed by Waddell & Reed, Inc., and Ivy Funds Distributor, Inc., respectively.