Japan and China funds top table in March

Funds with a focus on Japan and China delivered the best returns among our sister magazine Money Observer's Rated Funds in March. Of the top five performers, three were focused on these regions.

Legg Mason Japan Equity topped the table with an impressive 14.2% return during the month to 1 April.

Money Observer's Rated Funds are a collection of funds and trusts compiled from a potential universe of around 3,000 open-ended funds and 400 trusts selected and reviewed by the Money Observer team in conjunction with Financial Express.

Rated Funds showcase 195 of the best-performing investment vehicles across a broad range of regions, sectors and asset classes.

Europe funds struggle

In second place was Fidelity China Special Situations, with a 12.8% return. Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon came third with 11.7% as Japanese markets recovered strongly after February's poor performance.

The Japanese funds' strong monthly performance is a continuation of their stellar growth over the past three years.

European funds struggled in March, however. Three of the 10 worst-performing Rated Funds were European.

Henderson European Focus trust shed 0.3% and Jupiter European Opportunities lost 0.9%.

This article is for information and discussion purposes only and does not form a recommendation to invest or otherwise. The value of an investment may fall. The investments referred to in this article may not be suitable for all investors, and if in doubt, an investor should seek advice from a qualified investment adviser.