Japan funds

Recent returns of Japan mutual funds show that investors remain optimistic about the country's economic recovery. After several years of disastrous returns, funds that invest in Japanese companies roared back with a vengeance.

Four of the 10 top performing funds in this category have returned triple-digit growth so far this year.

Total return

Fund name YTD 1-yr. 3-yr

Warburg Pincus Japan Sm Co Comm 127.9% 115.9% 17.4%

800-927-2874

Fidelity Japan Small Companies 122.9 169.9 15.6

800-544-8888

MJFOX Matthews Japan I 108.2 N/A N/A

800-789-2742

Warburg Pincus Japan Growth Comm 102.0 77.2 23.0

800-927-2874

Deutsche Japanese Equity A 70.5 86.2 N/A

888-433-6385

T. Rowe Price Japan 55.5 77.2 5.9

800-638-5660

Fidelity Japan 53.4 71.7 11.5

800-544-8888

The Japan Fund 53.1 76.6 13.1

800-535-2726

AIM Japan Growth A 50.8 46.5 8.8

800-347-4246

Goldman Sachs Japanese Eq A 39.5 55.1 N/A

800-526-7384

Source: Morningstar Inc. As of 8/3/99

N/A - Not available

WHITNEY DODDS WOODRUFF - STAFF

(c) Copyright 1999. The Christian Science Publishing Society