Some investors select mutual funds based on past returns. However, funds that have outperformed in the past do not always persist as winners.
Past performance alone provides little insight into a fund’s ability to outperform in the future, as outlined in the chart below.
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The graph shows the proportion of US equity mutual funds that outperformed and underperformed their respective benchmarks (i.e., winners and losers) during the initial 10-year period ending December 31, 2010. Winning funds were re-evaluated in the subsequent five-year period from 2011 through 2015, with the graph showing winners (outperformers) and losers (underperformers). Fund count and percentages may not correspond due to rounding. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Data Source: Analysis conducted by Dimensional Fund Advisors using data on US-domiciled mutual funds obtained from the CRSP Survivor-Bias-Free US Mutual Fund Database, provided by the Center for Research in Security Prices, University of Chicago. Sample excludes index funds. Benchmark data provided by MSCI, Russell, and S&P. MSCI data © MSCI 2016, all rights reserved. Russell data © Russell Investment Group 1995-2016, all rights reserved. The S&P data are provided by Standard & Poor’s Index Services Group. Benchmark indices are not available for direct investment. Their performance does not reflect the expenses associated with the management of an actual portfolio. Mutual fund investment values will fluctuate, and shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Diversification neither assures a profit nor guarantees against a loss in a declining market.