Picking up the pieces
Lackluster results mark another dismal period for investors. But there are some signs of hope. The two best-performing Maryland mutual diversified stock funds were boosted in the first quarter by their holdings in consumer-oriented stocks, such as Apple and Amazon. Ellicott City-based Hussman Strategic Growth fund gained 7 percent while T. Rowe Price Group's New America Growth fund posted a positive return of 3.4 percent during the quarter. That may be surprising, given declining consumer confidence in a deepening recession. But consumers are still buying, just not as much.