To invest money in funds is increasing rapidly in popularity and one of the biggest reasons is that banks are offering a greater range of funds. Information about funds is always easy to find and it is easy to invest money in a fund because the bank takes care of all the management of the fund.

The essay examines two funds from two different countries with an aim to choose the one with best potential yield. The first fund is entirely invested in North America and the second fund invests in Asia, with most of its possessions in companies from China. Both these funds invest in wellknown companies in respective region. The essay is limited to compare these funds with data from 2005 to 2009.

Information was collected from Morningstar and Avanza Bank for the quantitative examination. The qualitative examination was based on an interview with a fund analyzer.

The financial instruments were used to compare the funds and choose the fund that had the highest yield in relation to risk. This fund was also the one chosen as the better of the two. In addition evaluation was done by calculation of financial variables, the standard deviation, total return, average return, Sharpe ratio and a comparison of the funds yields with yields from similar funds in the same region.

Result shows high yields from the fund invested in China, compared to the much lower yields for the North American fund.

The China fund had a standard deviation (risk) of 46, 1 % while the North American fund had 23, 9 %. This is because the yields of the China fund were much more variably. In addition the yields were also much higher for the China fund. The holding period return was calculated to a positive result for the China fund while the North American fund showed a negative result. Also the average yield shows a positive result for the China fund and a negative result for the North American fund. The Sharpe ratio that measures the yield with regards to the risk shows a better result for the China fund. In comparison with similar funds in the same regions the China fund has given higher yields than the average fund in the same region, while the North American fund gave less yields than the average fund that invests in the same region.

The fund analyzer was more positive to the China fund, due to its appeal to the investor.