In the News: Barron's

Barron's magazine says the Merk Hard Currency Fund may be an attractive alternative to investors

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Many investors are disappointed with anemic U.S. economic growth, worried about rising interest rates and inflation, frustrated with Washington's failure to manage federal debt, weary of the stock market's violent swings, and disgusted with low U.S. bond yields, says Axel Merk. Merk is chief investment officer of Merk Investments, which manages more than $750 million in currency funds in Palo Alto, Calif. "People are realizing that there is no safe haven anymore...the U.S. dollar itself is not necessarily safe either," he observes.

Launched in May 2005 on a bet that the dollar would decline under long-standing fiscal pressures, the Merk Hard Currency Fund (MERKX) spreads its risk across currencies. CIO Merk favors those issued by nations whose central banks use what he views as sound policies to maintain price stability. […] Through Aug. 24, the fund was up 16.8% over 12 months, beating the Standard & Poor's 14.2% advance over that stretch…"

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