USAA Precious Metals and Minerals
5-year avg total return: 28.26%
Expense ratio: 1.19%
Asset size: $2.5 billion
Led by veteran manager Mark Johnson, USAA's Precious Metals and Minerals Fund (USAGX) looks for low-cost gold producers that can survive even if prices plummet. They also buy fast growing miners if the stocks are reasonably priced.
Randgold Resources is a good example: At a PE ratio of 74, it's not cheap. But with a debt-free balance sheet and rocketing growth estimates, it's one of Johnson's top stocks.
NEXT: Oppenheimer Gold & Special Minerals
Last updated December 09 2010: 5:17 AM ET
