Every fund manager aspires to earn returns that beat the fund's benchmark. So a manager that consistently beats the benchmark eventually builds a reputation and gains a following among investors. After a while, a streak of outperformance becomes like a baseball team that makes the playoffs year in and year out.
Well, between 1991 and 2005 -- the same timeframe during which the Atlanta Braves won 14 division titles -- Bill Miller beat the market for 15 consecutive years. But in 2006, both the Braves' and Miller's impressive streaks came to their respective ends, reminding us that nothing lasts forever in baseball or finance.
Before becoming a successful investment manager, Millergraduated from Washington & Lee University and served as an officer in the U.S. Army's Military Intelligence Corps. Today, he's chairman and chief investment officer of Legg Mason 's (NYSE: LM) Capital Management division.
Legg Mason Capital Management Value Trust (Class C)
Expense ratio
1.72%
Assets under management
$4.6 billion
1-year return
36.6%
5-year annualized return
(6.4%)
10-year annualized return
(1.8%)
Source: Morningstar.
Top 5 Holdings as of Sept. 30, 2009
Percent
AES Corp.
9.8%
Aetna
4.0%
eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY)
Aflac (NYSE: AFL)
3.8%
Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ)
3.5% Continued...