Hancock fund ranks high

Hancock Bank

GULFPORT — Hancock Holding Company’s Hancock Horizon Diversified International Fund (HHDTX), for which EARNEST Partners is the subadvisor, was ranked in the top one percentile among international large cap blend mutual funds for 2009, according to Morningstar.

The trust class had a one-year return of 54.25 percent, compared to the fund’s benchmark, the MSCI ACWI ex US, which returned 41.45 percent for the same time period.

EARNEST Partners has managed its international strategy for 10 years, during which time it has outperformed its benchmark by 4.70 percent annualized gross of fees (3.96 percent net of fees).

John Portwood, chief investment strategist for Hancock Horizon Funds, said, “We have been very pleased with our relationship with EARNEST Partners and feel the diversified international fund is a great compliment to our other top rated mutual funds.”

The Hancock Horizon Burkenroad Fund received a top rating of five stars from Morningstar, while the Hancock Horizon Value Fund and the Strategic Income Bond Fund have both received four-star ratings from Morningstar. The International Fund is not eligible to receive a Morningstar rating until it has at least three years of investment performance.