TheStreet.com Ratings: Top-Rated Closed-End Funds, ETFs

TheStreet.com ratings take into account both the performance and volatility of a company's stock, so when markets are in turmoil there are bound to be changes.

Here's a look at how our top-20 rated closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds fared during the tumultuous month of February.

As the charts below illustrate, they did relatively well in February.

For purposes of comparison, we have separated the funds with a track record of greater than three years from younger funds with less than a three-year track record. (We rate closed-end funds and ETFs with a track record of at least 12 months.)

Most of the older funds are ETFs from Barclays iShares, but two are closed-end funds -- Mexico Fund (MXF Quote) and MVC Capital (MVC Quote).

A further distinction is that all but one of the older top-rated funds invest overseas, with the exception of MVC Capital.

MVC is a business development company that provides long-term equity and debt investment capital to fund growth, acquisitions and recapitalizations of small and middle-market companies.

Top-Rated Older Funds as of End of February 2007
28-Feb-07	1 Month Return	6 Month Return	3 Year Return
iShares MSCI Spain - EWP	4.59	27.81	25.98
MVC Capital - MVC		28.35	29.08
iShares MSCI Singapore - EWS	8.04	44.37	28.74
iShares MSCI Pacific ex-Japan - EPP	6.63	28.13	24.5
iShares MSCI Australia - EWA	9.26	28.48	27.4
iShares MSCI Germany - EWG	6.78	24.99	22.33
iShares S&P Europe 350 - IEV	3.74	17.41	19.67
iShares MSCI EMU - EZU	4.78	20.34	21.37
iShares MSCI France - EWQ	4.08	15.94	19.95
iShares MSCI Malaysia - EWM	9.79	47.52	18.5
Source: TheStreet.com Ratings

Below is the list of the top 10 rated "younger" funds, the composition of which varies notably from that of the older funds above. If we look in the "type" column, we see that there is more of an eclectic group compared with the more established funds. Included on the list are a couple of mid-cap funds, a large value fund, a defense fund and a utility fund.

Top-Rated Younger Funds as of End of February 2007
28-Feb-07	1 Month Return	6 Month Return	Type
iShares MSCI EAFE Value - EFV	4.41	17.74	Int'l
Vanguard Telecom Serv ETF - VOX	2.33	22.42	Income
Vanguard European ETF - VGK	4.07	18.56	Int'l
PowerShares Dynamic Mid Cap Value - PWP	6.15	20.66	Growth
BlackRock S&P Qual Rkg Glob Eq Mgd - BQY	1.71	18.43	Growth
iShares Morningstar Mid Value - JKI	5.07	19.01	Growth
PowerShares Intl Dividend Ach - PID	2.71	16.44	Int'l
Gabelli Global Utility&Income Trust - GLU	0.93	19.55	Util.
PowerShares Aerospace & Defense - PPA	5.48	21.56	Income
iShares Morningstar Large Value - JKF	1.97	10.27	Income
Source: TheStreet.com Ratings