Today we are featuring top-performing "global" equity mutual funds that invest in equity securities of both U.S. and foreign companies.

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

3 Solid Picks

First Eagle Global A (SGENX) seeks long-term capital growth by investing in a wide range of asset classes from markets in the United States and around the world. It has a flexible approach and invests in securities regardless of market capitalization, sector or asset class.

The fund invests in undervalued common stocks, bonds, preferred and convertible securities and, at times, real estate and gold-related investments. It has topped its benchmark index in terms of total annual returns in the 1-, 3- and 5-year periods.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.A) SMC Corp. and Sodexho Alliance are among the fund's top

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Altria Group Inc. (MO) advanced nearly 5% on Thursday as investors thought the company's decision to raise the price of Marlboro and other premier brands by 71 cents a pack will help the cigarette maker's profits.

Altria said the price increases, which will be effective from March 9, are due to costs related to the upcoming raise in federal excise tax on cigarettes to $1 from 39 cents per pack. Last month, Philip Morris also raised prices by about 9 cents per pack.

However, the company plans to cut prices for the smokeless tobacco brands it acquired through its purchase of UST Inc. by 62 cents per tin to compete better in the U.S. tobacco market, which has seen declining volumes amid higher taxes and bans on smoking in public places.

Altria was trading up 4% to $15.69 at noon on the New York Stock

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Stock of the Day: Altria (NYSE: MO)

by Ted Leinbach, Research Team, The Oxford Club 

High Yield Dividends & Recessions: How Sustainable Are They?

With many stocks these days offering up mouth-watering dividend yields, here’s the big question on every investor’s mind…. is it too good to be true?

The answer: Yes and No.

Historically, global dividend payments have tended to hold up quite well in the teeth of previous recessions. With the exception of 2002 and the mid-seventies when payments fell by less than 5%, dividends continued to rise. 

But this recession is different in a few ways. For example, with corporate profits falling and extremely tight credit, more companies are likely to cut their dividends in an effort to preserve capital.

To avoid these pitfalls, we use a filter to help identify strong companies with sustainable dividends. And we’ll show you why Altria (NYSE: MO) is a company that

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UST Inc. (

Tremblant CapitalTremblant Capital | Bret Barakett Holdings AnalysisThis post is being written as part of HedgeFundBlogger.com's Investment Securities Tool which analyzes the holdings of hedge fund managers.Taken from their site, Tremblant Capital Group's objective is "to achieve superior risk adjust returns for our investors through our focused and disciplined investment process." Tremblant is a $4.1 billion hedge fund based in New York and is run by Bret Barakett, who is a former portfolio manager at Moore Capital Management (the hedge fund run by the great Louis Bacon, whom I also track). So, as you can see, despite having a great mind of his own, Barakett has worked with some of the best in the Global Macro game. And, that's ...

Global Tobacco Index Stats Top 5 Companies by 1-Year Stock Gain Top 5 Companies by Market Cap The tobacco industry is smokin' the overall market and benchmark funds over the past year, thanks to news today that Altria (MO) is looking to buy smokeless tobacco company UST, Inc. (UST) for about $10 billion, and defensive buying by investors as economic uncertainties have dragged down the overall market the past few days. Another notable mover is Star Scientific (STSI), which has vaulted to ...