Getting Winning Returns from Champion Growth Companies

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- TCW Select Equities (TGCEX) has the earmarks of a volatile fund. While typical peers hold more than 100 stocks, TCW maintains a concentrated portfolio of about 30 names. The concentrated approach can be risky because the portfolio would sink sharply if only a few holdings turn down. In addition, the TCW stocks are not cheap. At a time when the S&P 500 has a price-to-earnings ratio of 17, the fund's holdings trade at a multiple of 22.4. If trouble appears, the high-priced stocks could fall a long way before they hit bottom.

But TCW has defied the odds. The fund has delivered strong returns while being less volatile than most competitors. During the past five years, the fund returned 8.5% annually, outdoing 94% of peers, according to Morningstar. The performance was particularly notable in downturns. During the turmoil of 2008, the fund surpassed competitors by a comfortable margin.

TCW is not unique among large growth funds. Other concentrated funds that have delivered outstanding results in up and down markets include John Hancock US Global Leaders Growth (USGLX) and William Blair Growth (BGFIX).

The funds all achieved top results by sticking with high-quality companies that dominate niches. Holdings include such powerhouses as Google (GOOG) and Qualcomm (QCOM), which licenses semiconductors for cell phones. Those rock-solid businesses can grow year after year.

TCW portfolio manager Craig Blum looks for companies that can grow at 15% annual rates. "We try to find extraordinary businesses with enduring competitive advantages," he says.

If one of his stocks enters a slow patch, Blum is willing to hold -- as long as the growth seems poised to rebound and continue over the long haul. He has owned Amazon (AMZN) for 10 years, holding during the periods when the company's profit margins sagged because of heavy investments in capital equipment and new products.

While most of TCW's holdings do best during economic booms, Blum is careful to include some steady businesses that can thrive in hard times. A favorite defensive holding is Mead Johnson Nutrition (MJN), a maker of Enfamil infant formula. Sales are growing rapidly in the emerging markets as millions of consumers enter the middle class and begin buying infant formula for the first time.

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