TheStreet.com Ratings Initiates Coverage of 71 Mutual Funds

TheStreet.com Ratings has initiated coverage of 71 open-end mutual funds that accrued a track record of three years of risk and performance data by the end of August.

Twenty-three of the funds scored a "buy" rating of B- or better, outperforming at least 70% of the open-end stock funds we rate. Four funds received our top rating of A+. Of these, two target mid-cap stocks, one invests in non-US equities, and one focuses on smaller growth stocks.

The A+ rated (FIIMX)Fidelity Advisor Mid Cap II Fund (FIIMX), launched on August 12, 2004, returned an average 20.8% over the last three years. Some notable holdings include Juniper Networks (JNPR), Altera (ALTR) and Ameriprise Financial (AMP).

The second mid-cap fund starting off with an A+ rating is the (CMVRX)Columbia Mid Cap Value Fund (CMVRX). The fund prefers stocks with good long-term growth potential and market capitalizations between $1.4 billion and $13.4 billion. The sector allocation for this fund is 12.5% electric, 10.3% banks, 9.6% insurance, 5.0% manufacturing, 4.6% REITS, and 4.1% electronics with no individual holding making up more than 2% of total investments. Entergy (ETR), PPL (PPL) and American Electric Power (AEP) are among the largest holdings.

Both of the above funds have proven to be strong performers worthy of consideration for investors looking to diversify their portfolio into U.S. mid cap stocks.

If you have enough U.S. exposure and are looking for a top performing non-U.S. equity fund, take a look at the A+ rated (CIERX)Columbia Multi-Advisor International Equity Fund (CIERX). It allocates 18.6% of assets to the U.K., along with 14.1% for France, 11.0% for Switzerland, 10.6% for Japan, and 9.1% for Germany.

Last, the A+ rated (PREOX)Perritt Emerging Opportunities Fund (PREOX) favors U.S. stocks of companies with market capitalizations below $350 million, a high percentage of management ownership, low long-term debt, above average earnings growth and moderate price valuation ratios. As of the end of last year, its top holdings were Mfri (MFRI), KSW (KSW) and Universal Stainless & Alloy Products (USAP).

Research Methodology

TheStreet.com Ratings condenses the available fund performance and risk data into a single composite opinion of each fund's risk-adjusted performance. This allows the unbiased identification of those funds that have historically done well and those that have underperformed the market. While there is no guarantee of future performance, these Investment Ratings provide a solid framework for making informed, timely investment decisions.

The funds listed below have either reached their three year anniversary or are additional share classes of existing funds for which the fund companies have submitted three years of pro-forma results. The 23 funds rated from A+ down to B- are considered "Buy" rated based on a track record of above average risk-adjusted performance.

'Buy' Rated New Coverage of Open-End Mutual Funds as of Aug. 31, 2007
Fund	Ticker	Initial Rating	Inception Date	Investment Style
Fidelity Adv Mid Cap II I	FIIMX	A+	8/12/2004	Mid Cap
Columbia Mid Cap Value Fd R	CMVRX	A+	1/23/2006	Mid Cap
Columbia Multi Adv Intl Eq Fd R	CIERX	A+	1/23/2006	Non-US Equity
Perritt Emerging Opportunities Fund	PREOX	A+	8/27/2004	Growth - Domestic
American Century Mid Cap Val Inst	AVUAX	A	8/2/2004	Mid Cap
Fidelity Adv Mid Cap II B	FIIBX	A	8/12/2004	Mid Cap
Fidelity Adv Mid Cap II C	FIICX	A	8/12/2004	Mid Cap
Fidelity Adv Mid Cap II T	FITIX	A	8/12/2004	Mid Cap
Columbia Mid Cap Growth Fund R	CMGRX	A-	1/23/2006	Mid Cap
Fidelity Adv Mid Cap II A	FIIAX	A-	8/12/2004	Mid Cap
Pioneer Ibbotson Aggress Alloc Fd Y	IBAYX	B+	8/9/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
Cambiar Conquistador Fund Inv	CAMSX	B+	8/31/2004	Small Cap
Franklin Templeton Persptv Allc Adv	No Ticker	B+	8/2/2004	Growth & Income
Franklin Templeton Persptv Allc R	No Ticker	B	8/2/2004	Growth & Income
Growth & Income	ARYRX	B	8/31/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
American Century LStrong 2025 Inst	ARWFX	B	8/31/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
Pioneer Ibbotson Aggress Alloc Fd A	PIAAX	B	8/9/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
Pioneer Ibbotson Gr Alloc Y	IBGYX	B	8/9/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
Franklin Templeton Persptv Allc C	FPCAX	B-	8/2/2004	Growth & Income
Columbia Small Cap Value Fund II R	CCTRX	B-	1/23/2006	Small Cap
American Century LStrong 2025 Inv	ARWIX	B-	8/31/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
American Century LStrong 2025 Adv	ARWAX	B-	8/31/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
Pioneer Ibbotson Aggress Alloc Fd B	IALBX	B-	8/9/2004	Asset Allocation -- Domestic
Source: TheStreet.com Ratings

44 New 'Hold' Ratings at the C Level as of Aug. 31, 2007
Fund	Ticker	Initial Rating	Inception Date	Investment Style
American Century LStrong 2045 Adv	AROAX	C+	8/31/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
American Century LStrong 2045 Inst	AOOIX	C+	8/31/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
American Century LStrong 2045 Inv	AROIX	C+	8/31/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
American Century LStrong 2045 R	ARORX	C+	8/31/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
American Century LStrong 2035 Inst	ARLIX	C+	8/31/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
American Century LStrong 2035 Inv	ARYIX	C+	8/31/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
American Century LStrong 2025 R	ARWRX	C+	8/31/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
American Century LStrong 2015 Inst	ARNIX	C+	8/31/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
American Century LStrong 2015 Inv	ARFIX	C+	8/31/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
Franklin Templeton Persptv Allc A	FPAAX	C+	8/2/2004	Growth & Income
Hotchkis and Wiley Core Value I	HWCIX	C+	8/30/2004	Growth - Domestic
ING JPMorgan Sm Cap Eq Port A	IJSAX	C+	8/12/2004	Small Cap
Pioneer Ibbotson Mod Alloc Fd Y	IMOYX	C+	9/23/2005	Asset Allocation - Domestic
Oppenheimer 529 100% Equity 4	No Ticker	C+	8/27/2004	Growth - Domestic
Oppenheimer 529 Moderate Port 4	No Ticker	C+	8/27/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
Pioneer Ibbotson Aggress Alloc Fd C	IALCX	C+	8/9/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
Oppenheimer 529 Bal Port 4	No Ticker	C	8/27/2004	Growth & Income
Oppenheimer 529 Moderate Port 2	No Ticker	C	8/27/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
Oppenheimer 529 Moderate Port 3	No Ticker	C	8/27/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
Oppenheimer 529 100% Equity 2	No Ticker	C	8/27/2004	Growth - Domestic
Oppenheimer 529 100% Equity 3	No Ticker	C	8/27/2004	Growth - Domestic
Oppenheimer 529 Agg Port 4	No Ticker	C	8/27/2004	Aggressive Growth
Pioneer Ibbotson Gr Alloc A	GRAAX	C	8/9/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
Pioneer Ibbotson Gr Alloc B	GRABX	C	8/9/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
Pioneer Ibbotson Gr Alloc C	GRACX	C	8/9/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
Pioneer Ibbotson Mod Alloc Fd B	PIBLX	C	8/9/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
Pioneer Ibbotson Mod Alloc Fd C	PIDCX	C	8/9/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
Oppenheimer 529 Moderate Port A	No Ticker	C	8/27/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
American Century LStrong 2015 R	ARFRX	C	8/31/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
American Century LStrong 2015 Adv	ARFAX	C	8/31/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
American Century LStrong 2035 Adv	ARYAX	C	8/31/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
American Century LStrong Inc I	ATTIX	C	8/31/2004	Growth & Income
Oppenheimer 529 Bal Port A	No Ticker	C-	8/27/2004	Growth & Income
Oppenheimer 529 100% Equity A	No Ticker	C-	8/27/2004	Growth - Domestic
Oppenheimer 529 Agg Port 2	No Ticker	C-	8/27/2004	Aggressive Growth
Oppenheimer 529 Agg Port 3	No Ticker	C-	8/27/2004	Aggressive Growth
Oppenheimer 529 Bal Port 2	No Ticker	C-	8/27/2004	Growth & Income
Oppenheimer 529 Bal Port 3	No Ticker	C-	8/27/2004	Growth & Income
Pioneer Ibbotson Mod Alloc Fd A	PIALX	C-	8/9/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
Hotchkis and Wiley Core Value A	HWCAX	C-	8/30/2004	Growth - Domestic
Hotchkis and Wiley Core Value C	HWCCX	C-	8/30/2004	Growth - Domestic
American Century LStrong Inc Adv	ARTAX	C-	8/31/2004	Growth & Income
American Century LStrong Inc Inv	ARTOX	C-	8/31/2004	Growth & Income
American Century LStrong Inc R	ARSRX	C-	8/31/2004	Growth & Income
Source: TheStreet.com Ratings

Four New 'Sell' Ratings at the D and E Levels as of Aug. 31, 2007
Fund	Ticker	Initial Rating	Inception Date	Investment Style
Oppenheimer 529 Agg Port A	No Ticker	D+	8/27/2004	Aggressive Growth
Oppenheimer 529 Conservative Port A	No Ticker	D+	8/27/2004	Asset Allocation - Domestic
ING Large Cap Value Fd I	IVLIX	D	8/2/2004	Growth - Domestic
ING Financial Services C	PBCCX	D-	8/24/2004	Sector - Financial Services
Source: TheStreet.com Ratings

Click here for detailed definitions of what each level of our rating scale means.

Kevin Baker became the senior financial analyst for TSC Ratings upon the August 2006 acquisition of Weiss Ratings by TheStreet.com, covering mutual funds. He joined the Weiss Group in 1997 as a banking and brokerage analyst. In 1999, he created the Weiss Group's first ratings to gauge the level of risk in U.S. equities. Baker received a B.S. degree in management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an M.B.A. with a finance specialization from Nova Southeastern University.