Morningstar, the Chicago company that rates mutual funds and has begun publishing stock research, might be a better model.

The company has also rated mutual funds since 1993.

In October 2003, for example, Morningstar introduced additional changes in how it rates international funds.

Funds are rated on a numeric scale of 5 to 1, with '5' representing funds with the highest rating or Lipper Leaders, and '1' representing the lowest rated funds.

"If you look at the fund more recently, he's really bounced back," said Christopher Traulsen, a senior analyst at Morningstar Inc., which rates mutual funds.

In 1992, the fund had a total return on investments of 28.05 percent, ranking first among funds investing in distressed securities, according to Morningstar Inc, which rates mutual funds.

Gold stock funds performed spectacularly well in the late 1970's, said Joe Mansueto, president of Mutual Fund Values, a Chicago service that rates mutual funds.

The advertising of Morningstar ratings leads investors to chase past leaders and roll money out of recently downgraded or poorly rated funds into recently upgraded or highly rated funds.

Other highly rated funds are Vanguard Specialized Gold and Precious Metals and Fidelity Select Precious Metals and Minerals.