Since 2008, either Ivy Funds or Waddell & Reed Advisors Funds has occupied the No. 1, 2 or 3 spot
in Barron's five-year rankings. In the latest "Best Mutual Fund Families" rankings (published Feb. 11, 2013), Ivy Funds is No. 2 over both the five-year and
10-year periods ending Dec. 31, 2012, out of 53 and 46 firms ranked, respectively. Waddell & Reed Advisors Funds retain a strong historical record, either
No. 1 or No. 2 between 2008 and 2011, and in the top 20 in 2012.
| Barron's 5-Year Performance Rankings |
| Year Ended |
Waddell & Reed |
Ivy Funds |
| 2012 (53 firms) |
16 |
2 |
| 2011 (53 firms) |
2 |
1 |
| 2010 (54 firms) |
2 |
1 |
| 2009 (54 firms) |
1 |
2 |
| 2008 (53 firms) |
1 |
3 |
| Source Barron's |
No matter the market environment, you need investments designed to meet your long-term goals. You
need consistency, regardless of what the financial markets might bring. If you consider where the financial markets have been between 2004 and 2012, a period
when Waddell & Reed Advisors Funds and Ivy Funds have consistently been among the top spots on Barron’s annual five-year rankings, we’ve been through a variety
of cycles. There were positive trends followed by everything from natural disasters to terrorist threats to a global credit crisis. As you can see in the chart,
from 2004 through 2007, the stock market was on a gradual uptrend, as measured by the S&P 500 Index.
Then we saw a dramatic drop in 2008, when the credit crisis led to uncertainty about the global economy and, in turn, volatility in equity prices. Global
markets recovered in 2009, then stabilized and stumbled again over the next 12 months, and continued to be whipsawed during 2011. Equity markets rose in 2012,
though we had more uncertainty fueled by the European debt crisis, ongoing government policy questions and a presidential election in the U.S.
Across that period, Waddell & Reed Advisors Funds or Ivy Funds have consistently delivered, and Barron’s continued to recognize our performance.
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Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Sales charges are not included in the calculation of returns, and the ranking period included time
periods during which some funds’ returns were affected by expense reduction arrangements. The Waddell & Reed Advisors Funds and Ivy Funds are distributed by
Waddell & Reed, Inc., and Ivy Funds Distributor, Inc., respectively. Barron’s rankings are based on asset-weighted returns in five categories: domestic
equity, world equity (including international and global portfolios), mixed equity (stocks and bonds), taxable bonds and tax exempt bonds. Rankings also take
into account an individual fund’s performance within its Lipper peer group.
Over the most recent one-year period, Ivy Funds ranked No. 24 and Waddell & Reed Advisor Funds ranked No. 25 out of 62 firms. Over the most recent ten-year
period, Ivy Funds ranked No. 2 and Waddell & Reed Advisor Funds ranked No. 21 out of 46 firms.