In January, Morningstar analysts upgraded four U.S. mutual fund ratings, downgraded five fund ratings and assigned three new ratings. The upgraded funds are:
- Boston Partners Long/Short Equity, upgraded to Silver from Bronze, for the fund's excellent results, combined with renewed confidence in its parent firm.
- Fidelity Overseas, upgraded to Bronze from Neutral, for the fund's consistent and well-executed process and outperformance in both up and down markets.
- American Beacon Small Cap Value, upgraded to Bronze from Neutral, for its rigorous manager-selection process, capable subadvisor lineup, and low price tag.
- T. Rowe Price Summit Municipal Intermediate, upgraded to Gold from Silver, for its sound strategy, experienced manager team, and focus on research and quantitative analytics.
The downgraded funds are:
- Oppenheimer Global Opportunities, downgraded to Neutral from Bronze, because of unclear succession plans for the lead manager.
- Franklin Floating Rate Daily Access, downgraded to Neutral from Bronze, because of lagging long-term performance.
- FPA New Income, downgraded to Bronze from Silver, because of recent underperformance and a senior analyst departure.
- ASTON/Montag & Caldwell Growth, downgraded to Bronze from Silver, because of concerns about the fund's underperformance.
- T. Rowe Price Short-Term Bond, downgraded to Neutral from Silver, because of manager changes, a middling record despite the fund's relatively diverse toolkit, and an unappealing risk/reward profile.
The funds with new ratings are:
- AllianceBernstein Select US Long/Short Portfolio, assigned a Neutral rating — particularly appealing for conservative investors, but has high fees and a short track record.
- PIMCO Credit Absolute Return, assigned a Neutral rating — despite a decent track record and well-respected manager, questions remain about its ability to withstand volatile credit markets.
- AQR Managed Futures Strategy, assigned a Silver rating — the fund stands out in its category for low fees and the firm's excellent stewardship of capital.
Morningstar’s Analyst Ratings represent the firm’s conviction in a fund's ability to outperform its peers and/or relevant benchmarks on a risk-adjusted basis over a market cycle of at least five years. As of Jan. 31, 2015, 141 U.S. funds had a rating of Gold; 286 funds had a Silver rating; 348 funds were rated Bronze; 317 funds had a Neutral rating; and 39 funds were rated Negative.