These Are The Top Ten Latin America Mutual Funds And ETFs Latin America has been the stock markets' underperformer, but things are looking more optimistic now. Many sectors in the region are poised to m...

Latin America has been the stock markets' underperformer, but things are looking more optimistic now. Many sectors in the region are poised to make a robust recovery. Moreover, a strong rebound in the U.S. economy is expected to favor neighboring regions, including Latin America. All this makes Latin America a potential investment opportunity. One best way to invest in the region is through Latin American mutual funds. Such funds invest exclusively in Latin American stocks. Most of such funds focus on large markets, such as Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. Let's take a look at the top ten Latin America mutual funds.

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Top Ten Latin America Mutual Funds

We have used the past one year return data (from U.S. Money) to rank the top ten Latin America mutual funds. Along with mutual funds, we have considered ETFs as well. Following are the top ten Latin America mutual funds and ETFs:

10. First Trust Latin America AlphaDEX® ETF (FLN, 22%)

FLN aims to achieve the price and yield performance of the NASDAQ AlphaDEX Latin America Index. This ETF usually invests at least 90% of its net assets in common stocks, REITs (real estate investment trusts), preferred shares and depositary receipts part of the underlying index. FLN has given YTD return of over 2%. It has $9.81 million in total assets, and has invested most in Basic Materials, followed by Financial Services and Utilities sectors.

9. Franklin FTSE Latin America ETF (FLLA, 25%)

FLLA aims to replicate the performance of the FTSE Latin America RIC Capped Index. This index tracks the performance of the Latin American large- and mid-capitalization stocks. FLLA has given YTD return of over 6%. It has $4.96 million in total assets, and has invested most in Basic Materials, followed by Financial Services and Consumer Defensive sectors.

8. VanEck Vectors Brazil Small-Cap ETF (BRF, 25%)

BRF aims to replicate the price and yield performance of the MVIS Brazil Small-Cap Index. This ETF has given YTD return of over 8%. BRF has $49 million in total assets. The top four holdings of the ETF are: Embraer S.A., Azul S.A., Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. and Oi SA.

7. iShares Latin America 40 ETF (ILF, 28%)

ILF tracks the performance of the S&P Latin America 40TM, which includes 40 biggest Latin American equities. Along with the securities part of the underlying index, ILF may also invest in the depositary receipts representing such securities. This ETF has given YTD return of over 4% and has $1.72 billion in total assets. The top three holdings of the ETF are: Vale S.A., Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. and Petroleo Brasileiro SA.

6. iShares MSCI Brazil Small-Cap ETF (EWZS, 29%)

EWZS tracks the investment performance of the MSCI Brazil Small Cap Index. The fund will normally invest in the component securities part of the underlying index. This ETF has given YTD return of over 13%. EWZS has $122.27 million in total assets, and has invested most in Consumer Cyclical, followed by Industrials and Consumer Defensive sectors.

5. Fidelity® Latin America Fund (FLFAX, 39%)

FLFAX usually invests in the securities of Latin American issuers, as well as in investments that are economically related to the region. This fund has given a return of over -11% in the past three months and over -7% in the past three years. FLFAX has $30.45 million in total assets. The top three holdings of the fund are: Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Qualitas Controladora SAB and Genomma Lab Internacional SAB.

4. OTG Latin America Fund (OTGAX, 40%)

OTGAX usually invests in Latin American equity securities, or in investment companies that invest or track the performance of indices in the Latin American markets. This fund has given a return of over -2% in the past three months. OTGAX has $15.92 million in total assets. The top three holdings of the fund are: Morgan Stanley Instl Lqudty Govt Instl, Petroleo Brasileiro SA and Bank Bradesco SA.

3. BlackRock Latin America Fund (MDLTX, 46%)

MDLTX normally invests at least 80% of its net assets in the securities of Latin American companies of any market cap. This fund has given a return of over -5% in the past three months, and over -6% in the past three years. MDLTX has $83.34 million in total assets. The top three holdings of the fund are: Vale SA, Bank Bradesco SA and B3 SA.

2. T. Rowe Price Latin America Fund (PRLAX, 51%)

PRLAX primarily invests in the common stocks of Latin American companies. Normally, the fund would invest in at least four countries in the region. This fund has given a return of over -6.7% in the past three months, and -3.18% in the past three years. PRLAX has $446.60 million in total assets. The top three holdings of the fund are: Itau Unibanco Holding SA, Bank Bradesco SA, and B3 SA.

1. DWS Latin America Equity Fund (SLANX, 66%)

SLANX invests a minimum of 80% of its net assets in Latin American common stocks and other equities. The remaining assets it may invest in are U.S. and other non-Latin American securities. This fund has given a return of over -5% in the past three months, and 6.65% in the past three years. SLANX has $291.92 million in total assets. The top three holdings of the fund are: Globant SA, Sequoia Logistica E Transportes SA Ordinary Shares and Antofagasta PLC.