These are the top funds in five major categories, ranked according to three-year returns. We primarily consider funds with managers in place for at least three years; the only exceptions are managers with at least three years’ experience in a similar capacity. We don’t rank funds with front or back-end loads greater than 3 percent or funds that are closed to new investors, have less than $25 million in assets, have minimums of $10,000 or more, have trust restrictions or are single-state muni-bond funds. All data as of 01/31/10.

Source: Morningstar, Bloomberg

The Louis Rukeyser Honor Roll

Funds that have been on The Rukeyser 100 more than 80 percent of the past three years (at least 29 out of 36 months) make it onto The Louis Rukeyser Honor Roll. Their names are in green and marked with laurels.

On the Move

– Osterweis Strategic Income (OSTIX) lost its slot in The Rukeyser 100 this month after its equity-sensitive convertibles, which account for roughly 14 percent of the fund’s investable assets, weighed on returns. Nevertheless, Osterweis Strategic Income remains one of our favorite high-yield, multi-sector bond funds.

– Matthews Pacific Tiger (MAPTX) has reappeared in The Rukeyser 100 thanks to its heavy exposure to financial names, which make up about a third of investable assets. This overweight could be a liability next month, though; shares of Chinese banks have sold off sharply after authorities raised reserve requirements. Although the fund tends to cycle in and out of our monthly list, Matthews International Capital Management remains one of the best Asia-focused shops in the business.

– Alger Capital Appreciation C (ALCCX) has also reappeared on our list, but most investors would do well to avoid this offering. Although manager Patrick Kelly has turned in an excellent performance over the past few years, his investment style makes the fund’s returns more volatile than its peers. Kelly invests primarily in turnaround stories, theses that usually take a while to play out and subject shareholders to plenty of turbulence.

Funds Added This Month

Alger Capital Appreciation C
Fidelity High Income
Fidelity Select Pharmaceuticals
Green Century Equity
Hussman Strategic Growth
Matthews Pacific Tiger
Parnassus Small-Cap
RiverNorth Core Opportunity
Rydex Biotechnology
T Rowe Price Health Sciences
Wasatch-Hoisington US Treasury

Funds Dropped This Month

Alger Spectra C
American Century Heritage
Bridges Investment
Fidelity Select Computers
Firsthand e-Commerce
Metropolitan West High Yield Bond M
Oberweis China Opportunities
Osterweis Strategic Income
Rydex Basic Materials
T Rowe Price Strategic Income
Wells Fargo Advantage Discovery