A look at the Vice Fund, specialty mutual fund investing in sin stocks

A look at the Vice Fund

Here’s a look at the Vice Fund, a mutual fund that specializes in buying the “sin stocks” of companies in the cigarette, alcoholic beverage, gambling and defense contracting industries:

TICKER: VICEX

INVESTMENT CATEGORY: Large Blend

YEAR-TO-DATE RETURN: 4.5 percent

S&P 500 TOTAL RETURN: -0.6 percent

5-YEAR ANNUALIZED RETURN: 0.02 percent

S&P 500: -0.05 percent

FUND ASSETS: $70 million

EXPENSE RATIO: 1.78 percent

MINIMUM INITIAL INVESTMENT: $2,000

MANAGER: Jeff Middleswart

RECENT TOP HOLDINGS & YTD STOCK PERFORMANCE:

— Philip Morris International Inc., up 11.9 percent

— Lorillard Inc., down 2.5 percent

— Altria Group Inc., up 20.4 percent

— Carlsberg AS, up 19 percent

— Diageo PLC, up 0.1 percent

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Note: Data through Wednesday, Aug. 18

Sources: Morningstar, fund company information