Five Spot: AIM's Sloan Sticks to Small Banks

Ron Sloan, manager of the AIM Mid Cap Core Equity Fund(GTAGX Quote), doesn't expect consumer spending to rebound significantly. He's avoiding consumer-discretionary stocks and sticking with small banks.

The $1.3 billion fund has returned 8.6% this year, trailing the 11% gain of the Russell Midcap Index but beating the S&P 500 Index's 3.6% advance. The AIM fund has lost 5.4% annually, on average, for the past three years, outperforming both benchmarks, which fell more than 20%. ...