(MONEY Magazine) – If someone told you Capital Research & Management placed four funds on this MONEY 100 list, you might say, "Who?" Cap Research's American Funds group is the ultimate low-profile, high-return outfit. Most of its funds don't even carry the Capital Research or American Funds name, while the managers work in largely anonymous teams. The funds are the stars--and they share a penchant for turning out reliable returns with very low risk.

Consider Capital World Growth & Income, which collects dividend-paying stocks around the globe. Like all Capital Research funds, World Growth & Income's $8.4 billion portfolio is divided into separately managed pieces. Here, each segment must deliver an income yield higher than the world stock average (lately 2%). Other than that, however, the managers are free to follow their noses. Stephen Bepler, a veteran of the U.S. bear market of the 1970s, favors stodgy low-P/E stocks. "I'm a belt and suspenders kind of guy," he says. "I won't pay up for growth." Other team members feel differently. "I am willing to pay up for a little growth," counters Mark Denning. Despite such philosophical differences, Cap Research's conservative culture steers most of the managers to shares with undervalued assets or earnings power--and the funds to winning records. Over the past three years World Growth & Income has outperformed 92% of its peers at 97% less risk, while the three other Capital Research funds on our list--Europacific Growth, New Perspective and Washington Mutual Investors--have racked up similarly impressive stats. --J.Z.