Neuberger Berman Genesis Leans On Value Fund, up 5.9% this year, has owned Fair, Isaac more than 1 1/2 Years.(MAKING MONEY IN MUTUALS)(FUND PROFILE)

Byline: Nancy Gondo

Fashion trends may go in and out of style -- but so do mutual funds. Value funds have been in vogue since mid-2000, when growth funds came crashing down with the Nasdaq.

The late 1990s were lean for most value funds. That applies to Neuberger Berman Genesis, which Morningstar Inc. puts in the small-cap blend group. But they've gotten a boost from the recent trend to value.

Last year the fund posted a 33% gain, beating the group's average return by nearly 20 percentage points. That's after a 4% rise in 1999 and a 7% drop in 1998.

So far this year, the $3 billion fund is on track to outperform many of its peers once again. It was up 5.9% for the year going into Friday, tracking ahead of the small-cap blend group's average 3.5% gain. By sharp contrast, the S&P 500 index was down 11%.

A Rated Fund

IBD gives the fund an A rating, as its total return for the 36 months ended July 31 puts it among the top 10% of all funds. Investors seeking a solid long-term record will find that Genesis has a 10-year average annual return of 16%.