All Precious Metals and Real Estate-Related Mutual Funds
Produce Positive Returns in First Quarter
Investors' Flight to Safety Drives Defensive Funds Up

May 8, 2002

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., - All 152 of the mutual fund industry's precious metals and real estate-related1 funds posted positive returns for the first quarter of 2002, according to Weiss Ratings, Inc., the nation's leading independent provider of ratings and analyses of financial services companies, mutual funds, and stocks. The precious metals funds delivered an average return of 35.92 percent to investors, while funds specializing in real estate-oriented companies yielded a more modest average return of 7.98 percent.

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