Two AIC funds with a finance focus

Article Excerpt

These two AIC funds hold much of their portfolios in finance stocks. This sector has risen lately on better-than-expected profits and an improved outlook for the economy as a whole. We prefer diversified funds. But if you must focus on a particular sector, finance still offers sound long-term prospects. If you invest in these funds, be sure to adjust the rest of your portfolio so it won’t be overly concentrated in the financial sector. AIC AMERICAN ADVANTAGE FUND $4.04 (CWA Rating: Aggressive) (AIC Group of Funds, 1375 Kerns Road, Burlington, Ont., L7R 4X8, 1-800-263-2144; Web site: www.aicfunds.com. Buy or sell through brokers) invests mostly in U.S. stocks. It holds 99% of its assets in the financial-services area. The fund’s financial holdings break down as follows: wealth management, 26.8%; life and health insurance, 20.9%; investment banking and brokerage, 11.9%; property and casualty insurance, 11.7%; diversified financial services, 7.3%; diversified banks, 7.1%; multi-line insurance, 6.3%; and consumer finance, 4.8%. The $30-million AIC American Advantage Fund’s top…