Benchmarks Used in the FundAlarm Data Tables
(Benchmark data as of January 31, 2010)

"Back" once to return to data table"Back" twice to search for another fundHome

FundAlarm data tables show the performance of each fund relative to one "best" benchmark. In order to select a single best benchmark for each fund, FundAlarm draws on the universe of potential benchmarks indicated below.

The tables below show the performance of the FundAlarm benchmarks as of January 31, 2010. For a discussion of how each fund is assigned to its benchmark, see Deciding to Sell a Mutual Fund.

Name of benchmark: Vanguard 500 Index (VFINX)
Nature of benchmark: Index mutual fund
How FundAlarm uses the benchmark: To evaluate the performance of mutual funds that primarily invest in large-cap U.S. common stocks.
Description of benchmark: Vanguard 500 Index attempts to match the performance of the unmanaged Standard & Poor's 500 index (S&P 500), a broad measure of the U.S. stock market.

Vanguard 500 Index
12 Mo.
Return		3 Yr.
Ret.
(Annlzd)		5 Yr.
Ret.
(Annlzd)
33.13%-7.27%0.10%

Name of benchmark: Dreyfus MidCap Index (PESPX)
Nature of benchmark: Index mutual fund
How FundAlarm uses the benchmark: To evaluate the performance of mutual funds that primarily invest in mid-cap U.S. common stocks.
Description of benchmark: A mutual fund that seeks to match the performance of the Standard & Poor's MidCap 400 Index (S&P 400)

Dreyfus MidCap Index
12 Mo.
Return		3 Yr.
Ret.
(Annlzd)		5 Yr.
Ret.
(Annlzd)
42.82%-4.36%2.75%

Name of benchmark: Vanguard Small Cap Index (NAESX)
Nature of benchmark: Index mutual fund
How FundAlarm uses the benchmark: To evaluate the performance of mutual funds that primarily invest in small-cap U.S. common stocks.
Description of benchmark: Vanguard Small Cap Index attempts to replicate the performance of the MSCI US Small Cap 1750 Index by essentially mirroring the index portfolio.

Vanguard Small Cap Index
12 Mo.
Return		3 Yr.
Ret.
(Annlzd)		5 Yr.
Ret.
(Annlzd)
46.58%-5.99%1.84%

Name of benchmark: Vanguard Balanced Index (VBINX)
Nature of benchmark: Index mutual fund
How FundAlarm uses the benchmark: To evaluate the performance of balanced mutual funds.
Description of benchmark: "Vanguard Balanced Index invests about 60% of its assets in large stocks and about 40% in high-quality bonds. For its stock portfolio, the fund attempts to match the performance of the U.S. stock market, as represented by the unmanaged Wilshire 5000 index. For its bond portfolio, the Fund attempts to match the performance of the U.S. bond market, as represented by the unmanaged Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index."

Vanguard Balanced Index
12 Mo.
Return		3 Yr.
Ret.
(Annlzd)		5 Yr.
Ret.
(Annlzd)
24.72%-1.14%2.84%

Name of benchmark: Schwab International Index (SWISX)
Nature of benchmark: Index mutual fund
How FundAlarm uses the benchmark: To evaluate the performance of funds that invest primarily in stocks of non-U.S. companies.
Description of benchmark: The Schwab International Index Fund® is an index fund that allows investors to effectively participate in many foreign equity markets by investing in substantially all of the stocks that comprise the Schwab International Index®. The Schwab International Index is comprised of 350 of the largest publicly-traded companies, based on free float-adjusted market capitalization, from companies with developed securties markets (excluding the United States).

Schwab International Index Inv
12 Mo.
Return		3 Yr.
Ret.
(Annlzd)		5 Yr.
Ret.
(Annlzd)
38.49%-7.49%3.01%

Name of benchmark: Specialty fund benchmarks
Nature of benchmark: Constructed by FundAlarm
How FundAlarm uses the benchmark: To evaluate the performance of specialty mutual funds. Specialty mutual funds include funds that primarily invest in the eight areas shown in the table below.
Description of benchmark: FundAlarm averages the 12 month, three-year and five-year returns of mutual funds that primarily invest in the areas shown below. There is one benchmark for each of the eight specialty categories.

FundAlarm Specialty fund benchmarks
Specialty fund area FundAlarm
benchmark		# of funds
included		Avg.
12 Mo.
Return
(%)		Avg.
3 Yr.
Return
(%)*		Avg.
5 Yr.
Return
(%)*
CommunicationsSpecialty-Commun43 37.66-11.78-1.61
FinancialSpecialty-Financial112 49.01-16.34-6.06
HealthSpecialty-Health148 24.11-0.264.15
Gold/Precious MetalsSpecialty-Metals66 34.855.2616.03
Energy/Natural ResourcesSpecialty-NatRes179 42.13-0.859.56
Real EstateSpecialty-RealEst388 47.89-16.64-0.08
TechnologySpecialty-Tech188 53.66-2.113.11
UtilitiesSpecialty-Utils85 15.25-4.314.77
* Annualized

"Back" once to return to data table"Back" twice to search for another fundTopHome