Calvert Research and Management is widely recognized as a pioneer in responsible and sustainable investing. The firm’s roots date back to the early 1980s, when the original Calvert organization launched the Calvert Social Investment Fund, among the first U.S. mutual funds to incorporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria into investment decisions. Over the years, Calvert built a strong reputation for combining traditional financial analysis with sustainability research, shareholder advocacy and corporate engagement. Its investment philosophy emphasizes companies with strong governance, ethical business practices, environmental stewardship and diversity initiatives. This approach helped establish Calvert Mutual Funds as a leading choice for investors seeking both competitive returns and socially conscious portfolios. Calvert’s mutual fund lineup includes equity, fixed-income, balanced and thematic strategies focused on long-term growth and sustainable investing trends. Many of its funds target sectors such as clean energy, healthcare innovation and sustainable infrastructure while integrating ESG considerations into security selection. A major milestone came in 2021 when Morgan Stanley acquired Eaton Vance, Calvert’s parent company, bringing Calvert under Morgan Stanley Investment Management. The acquisition strengthened Morgan Stanley’s ESG and sustainable investing capabilities while expanding Calvert’s global reach. Calvert continues to play a major role in responsible investing through ESG-focused mutual funds, sustainability research and active corporate engagement initiatives. Hence, it will be prudent to invest in American Beacon mutual funds if one is seeking stability in a market that is expected to remain volatile for a while. Astute investors should consider such funds at present. Mutual funds, in general, reduce transaction costs and diversify portfolios without an array of commission charges that are mostly associated with stock purchases (read more: Mutual Funds: Advantages, Disadvantages, and How They Make Investors Money). We have thus selected three mutual funds that boast a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 (Strong Buy), have positive three-year and five-year annualized returns, have minimum initial investments within $5000 and carry a low expense ratio. Calvert Short Duration Income CSDAX primarily invests in investment-grade U.S. dollar-denominated debt securities while allocating portions to high-yield, distressed and foreign debt instruments. Vishal Khanduja has been the lead manager of CSDAX since 2013. Three top holdings for CSDAX are JPMorgan Chase (1.3%), Bank of America (1.2%) and UBS (1%). CSDAX’s 3-year and 5-year annualized returns are 5.5% and 2.7%, respectively, and its net expense ratio is 0.75%. CSDAX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1. To see how this fund performed compared to its category, and other 1 and 2 Ranked Mutual Funds, please click here. Calvert Ultra-Short Duration Income CULAX primarily invests in floating-rate and ultra-short-duration securities, focusing on instruments with durations of one year or less to pursue its investment objective. Vishal Khanduja has been the lead manager of CULAX since 2012. Three top holdings for CULAX are Bank of America (1.9%), Goldman Sachs (1.9%) and Wells Fargo (1.2%). CULAX’s 3-year and 5-year annualized returns are 5.1% and 3.4%, respectively, and its net expense ratio is 0.71%. CULAX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #2. Calvert Bond CSIBX primarily invests in investment-grade bonds across various maturities while also maintaining limited exposure to foreign debt securities. Vishal Khanduja has been the lead manager of CSIBX since 2013. Three top holdings for CSIBX are Total Misc. Bonds (43.2%), Uniform Mortgage Backed Securities (10.6%) and Fed Home Loan Mortgage (6%). CSIBX’s 3-year and 5-year annualized returns are 4.7% and 1.1%, respectively, and its net expense ratio is 0.72%. CSIBX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #2. Want key mutual fund info delivered straight to your inbox? Zacks’ free Fund Newsletter will brief you on top news and analysis, as well as top-performing mutual funds, each week. Get it free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Get Your Free (CSDAX): Fund Analysis Report Get Your Free (CSIBX): Fund Analysis Report Get Your Free (CULAX): Fund Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research
