Today, we are featuring top-performing “Technology" equity mutual funds, which primarily invest in equity securities of companies that deal in advanced technologies.

Investors can find such funds by checking out the entire list of the Zacks #1 Rank Technology Equity Funds.

3 Hi-Tech Choices

T. Rowe Price Global Technology (PRGTX) seeks long-term capital growth. It may purchase stocks ranging from small companies to blue chip firms with established track records.

The fund invests at least 80% of its net assets throughout the world in the common stocks of companies that generate a majority of their revenues from the development, advancement, and use of technology. It looks to invest at least 30% of its assets in established as well as emerging foreign markets.

Shareholders have to make a minimum initial investment of $2,500 to enter this Zacks#1 Rank (“Strong Buy") fund. As of June 2009, it has a portfolio turnover of 104.6%.

David J.

...

With the announcement that it intends to build the world’s largest solar power plant, China is rapidly evolving into the world’s largest market for solar energy. And with heavy government backing, Chinese solar companies are quickly becoming global leaders.

Fast-growing industry and a reliance on coal-fired power plants turned China into the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gas a few years ago. Clouds of smog far thicker than that of Los Angeles hang over many of its cities and much of the water is densely polluted. But that’s something the central government aims to change.

China plans to reduce energy consumption per unit of its gross domestic product (GDP) by 20% of 2005 levels by the end of next year. It’s more immediate goal is to reduce reliance on coal-fired plants to 60% of its energy production from 70%, and replace with renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

Since 2007, about 54

...

More than six years ago, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke — then still Fed Governor — gave a laudation for Milton Friedman, one of America’s leading economists. Friedman’s view on the Great Depression holds that the stock market bubble of the Roaring 20s was not the reason for the Depression. Instead, it was the wrong fiscal and monetary policy in the years after the bubble had burst that caused the Depression. Bernanke publicly said to Milton Friedman: “Let me end my talk by abusing slightly my status as an official representative of the Federal Reserve. I would like to say to Milton and Anna: Regarding the Great Depression. You’re right, we did it. We’re very sorry. But thanks to you, we won’t do it again.”...

Back in December, with the U.S. recession in its 12th month – and showing no signs of abating – Money Morning Contributing Editor Martin Hutchinson warned that an “L”-shaped recession was very possible.

The U.S. recession is now in its 15th month, and many economists now expect the downturn to last until 2010 – if not longer. In fact, some economists now say the U.S. malaise could easily evolve into the virulent “L-shaped” downturn that Hutchinson predicted – a development that would guarantee both the maximum pain and the slowest recovery, experts say.

“I said in December that the recession could be ‘bloody-L shaped.’ With the huge deficits, that now looks the most likely outcome – and believe me when I say that it will be very bloody,” Hutchinson said this week. “The economy will bottom quite soon, but every time it tries to

...

The unemployment picture took on an even more ominous tone this week as new layoffs emphatically underscored a worsening global economy.  Now, fear is rising that the losses represent a major restructuring in the business world and that some, if not most, of the jobs are gone forever. Monday began with several European companies, including electronics giant Philips (PHG) and insurance and banking conglomerate ING, announcing job cuts of 6,000 and 7,000 employees respectively. The gloomy start to the workweek quickly turned into a bloodbath as more than 75,000 jobs were lost in a single day, when a who’s who of U.S. household names launched a gauntlet of layoffs: Sign up below… and we’ll send you a new investment report for free:...

Yet another horrible day, which brings to mind just gambling away your savings at the 21 table. It can be a fine line between investing and gambling. But in Las Vegas, you know the odds. On Wall Street, that's not always the case. Especially when it comes to the $62 trillion market in arcane financial contracts known as "credit default swaps." "Moreover," adds Michael Greenberger, former director of trading and markets for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, "Las Vegas is ...

Under Armour, Inc. (UA), based in College Park, Maryland, was founded in 1996 by former University of Maryland football player Kevin Plank. The company is the originator of performance apparel engineered to keep athletes cool, dry and light throughout the course of a game, practice or workout. With retailers across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland and Australia, the company offers a diverse assortment of apparel for men, women and youth.

The company recently announced that it will become the exclusive official outfitter of The University of Maryland (UM) Department of Athletics effective January 1, 2009. The five-year, $17.5M agreement gives Under Armour the right to provide uniforms, apparel and footwear to each of the Terps’ 27 varsity sports, including football, men’s and women’s basketball, lacrosse and soccer. The company previously signed apparel partnerships with UM’s football, men’s soccer, and men’s lacrosse teams.

The department-wide outfitter agreement includes

...