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SDIFX - Dreyfus/Standish International Fixed Income Fund
| SDIFX Invests In: Global bonds. Key Statistic: Very low beta. |
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You've probably heard it before: investors who focus too heavily on the United States may miss out. There are many great bond investments around the globe, if you are willing to look. But is there an easier way to invest in global bonds?
If you're looking for a global bond fund that can do the work for you, SDIFX may be it.
The Dreyfus/Standish International Fixed Income fund has the flexibility to invest in bonds of any country around the globe, and in any currency. That much flexibility allows the managers to look for the best bond bargains around the world. So far, that strategy has given the fund and investors a record of success.
The fund managers' global strategy has significantly lowered the fund's risk. The bond portfolio carries low average duration and standard deviation measurements. These indicate less risk, as evidenced by its recent rock-solid performance over the past few years.
Currency diversification is another key part of the fund's investment strategy. The portfolio's bonds pay earnings in the local currency (such as euros, yen, or dollars), which helps to guard against a weak US dollar.
The Dreyfus/Standish International Fixed Income fund is also one of very few well-managed global bond funds. SDIFX maintains an advantage by sticking to only high credit quality bonds and buying heavily when opportunities are available. So if the credit market becomes shaky (as it did in 2008), the fund managers can still hold on to their high-quality bonds.
Here's an example of the fund's recent performance:
This fund took a defensive stance in 2007 (with a modest 4.3% total return) that positioned the fund for great performance in 2008. Despite the rough credit market, this fund posted a 8.1% return, outperforming the benchmark by 2.8%. Looking over the longer term, the fund has also posted positive returns in each of the last 10 years.
Even with its success, SDIFX is a fund your broker probably won't tell you about. Why? Dreyfus doesn't pay brokers or financial advisors a commission to sell their funds. Dreyfus sells their funds directly to investors. They also don't charge investors an up-front sales charge. So if you want to invest in this fund, you can start by calling Dreyfus directly.
The bottom line: Dreyfus/Standish International Fixed Income has a championship investment strategy, low management costs, and (most importantly) lower risks.
Fund information is provided by Morningstar.
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