Morningstar Fund Analysts

All were well-prepared for the storm.

Investors looking to gauge a fund's interest-rate sensitivity need to look past duration.

Here are a few current recommended readings from Morningstar’s manager research team.

Also, a PIMCO alumnus steps aboard a Hotchkis & Wiley fund, and Federated Kaufmann adds comanagers.

Three former Artio managers start their own firm and fund but keep their track record, The Hartford to liquidate its target-date series, and AMG takes a majority investment in yet another boutique manager.

Also, Bill Miller draws up plans for a go-anywhere income fund, Ken Feinberg is leaving Davis Funds at the end of the year, Perritt Capital plans a new fund, and a goodbye to Abe Briloff.

Gold-rated Vanguard Capital Opportunity is closing to new investors, apart from those enrolled in Vanguard Flagship Services or Vanguard Asset Management Services. Separately, MFS and Vanguard roll out low-vol funds, and American Century Appoints 2 Co-CIOs.

Bill Gross adds management duties on PIMCO Unconstrained Bond while its longtime manager is on a sabbatical, Arif Husain taking over T. Rowe Price International Bond, and more.

Plus, USAA jettisons GMO on USAA Income Stock, and a new comanager on Gold-rated Jensen Quality Growth.

In early 2014, Krug will begin building a team that will focus on a credit opportunities strategy. Krug will head Artisan's first new investment team since 2006 and its sixth autonomous team. Meanwhile, Krug will be succeeded on Ivy High Income by William Nelson.

Graham French, who had managed Vanguard Precious Metals and Mining since 1996, steps back from day-to-day fund management responsibilities at the fund's subadvisor. Also, one fewer manager on PIMCO Global Multi-Asset and new managers on a DWS EAFE index fund.

The return of David Iben, plus new short-duration bond funds from Fidelity, Edward Jones' first-ever mutual fund, a new global industrials fund from T. Rowe Price, and more.

T. Rowe Price to close New Horizons to most new investors, Vanguard's fixed-income group head to retire in March, Columbia Wanger's Chuck McQuaid to step down as CIO and Columbia Acorn comanager, and some tragic news at First Eagle.

An updated expense ratio for Silver-rated FMI Focus Fund, a new emerging-markets value offering from American Century, PIMCO hires a new equity boss from Schroders, and more.

As part of the transition, the Silver-rated fund's expense ratio is estimated to drop by more than 10%. Also, a new manager for Fidelity Pacific Basin, GMO announces plans to begin tapping the firm's asset-allocation forecasts in its strategies, and new names for 5 Aquila funds.

Laudus' large-cap growth fund rehires its former manager Lawrence Kemp, Artisan Value team founder and portfolio manager Scott Satterwhite gives his three years' notice, David Herro closes Oakmark International to new investors, and more.

Likely available before the end of 2013, Vanguard's new fund will be actively managed. Also, Fidelity makes big changes to its Freedom Funds target-date investments, an additional manager signs on at the $8 billion Russell Strategic Bond Fund, a host of fixed-income manager changes at J.P. Morgan, and more.

T. Rowe Price seeks permission to create actively managed ETFs that are not transparent, a corporate-bond manager leaves PIMCO, and new managers are named to Oppenheimer Moderate and Ivy Global Natural Resources.

Dick Dahlberg set to retire from Columbia Dividend Income, Aston/Fairpointe Mid Cap to undergo a "soft close," and Lord Abbett Small Cap Value announces that it will reopen with new managers.

Calamos reopens its Bronze-rated convertible fund, while ClearBridge announces plans to close to new investors its Silver-rated small-cap growth fund. And a small UBS international-stock fund is set to get a dramatic makeover.

The manager of Leuthold Asset Allocation, which has been reeling from outflows, has left the firm, prompting the merger. Also, AllianceBernstein changes named managers in its target-date series and target-risk suite, ING swaps out managers on its asset-allocation team supporting multiasset funds, and American Funds is set to launch an emerging-markets fund.

Morgan Stanley to close a Silver-rated global stock fund to new investors and T. Rowe Price bans some 1,300 employees of American Airlines from trading T. Rowe funds in the airline's employee-sponsored retirement plan.

AllianceBernstein to buy W.P. Stewart, FPA Paramount alters its focus, Fidelity to roll out a short-duration high-yield fund, PIMCO plans for a managed-futures fund, and a sad farewell to retired T. Rowe Price manager and 1995 Fund Manager of the Year Jack Laporte.

A departing T. Rowe Price manager has a change of heart, Edward Jones unveils plans for a bond fund that would be its first-ever proprietary product, and a new comanager for FPA Perennial.

MFS Global Total Return adds 2 comanagers, Wasatch lures a large-cap value manager from ING, Calamos launches a dividend fund and a mid-growth fund, and American Century announces 2 promotions.

Artisan to close Artisan Small Cap to new investors, Putnam fixed-income manager Daniel Choquette departs, and Praxis adds comanagers to its allocation and index funds. Also, Mario Gabelli makes a very large gift to his alma mater.

Management changes on a Gold-rated Matthews fund, Fidelity to close Fidelity Ultra-Short Bond to most new investors, and a flurry of management changes on Invesco's large-cap growth team.

A raft of manager changes at Fidelity, a comanager exits Invesco China, and Kansas' 529 plans drop their fees and offer some new, low-priced options.

The Fairholme Fund sues the federal government seeking dividends from its stakes in Fannie and Freddie, Munder Capital is on the block, a former Columbia manager succeeds Michael Kobs in the management of a set of Vanguard's municipal bond funds, and Columbia brings on board a former Putnam value equity manager.

New lead managers for 2 Mairs & Power funds, ORIX to buy 90% of Robeco, and Harbor removes Marsico Capital as the subadvisor of Harbor International Growth.

TIAA-CREF and Henderson to start a new global real estate investment management company, Invesco High Yield Municipal opens back up to investors, Utah's Gold-rated 529 program cuts costs and adds funds from DFA, and Calamos seeks to begin issuing actively managed ETFs.

Paul Davis departs Charles Schwab Investment Management, a manager change at Ariel, and a foreign currency manager at JP Morgan exits.

A Fidelity fund manager steps down after inconsistent performance, Aberdeen closes on its acquisition of Artio, and a Goldman Sachs Asset Management fund manager retires.

Vanguard launches international-bond fund, FPA Crescent picks up 2 new comanagers, and managers depart at GSAM, Buffalo, and BlackRock. Also, Matthews to close its Asia dividend fund, and Morgan Stanley set to launch a global quality stock fund.

Fairholme takes a big stake in Fannie and Freddie preferreds, a manager of a Bronze-rated Oppenheimer fund departs, Templeton Frontier Markets closes to new investors, a slew of manager changes at Bridgeway, and some high-profile Janus fund managers resurface at a hedge fund.

In a tough week for Marsico, the firm is removed as a subadvisor on two separate funds. Also, Calamos plans dividend and mid-growth funds, Oppenheimer to close Discovery to new investors, and John Hancock makes a raft of portfolio-management changes.

Also, Vanguard rolls out an emerging-markets bond fund, major portfolio manager departures at T. Rowe Price and FPA, Neuberger Berman to launch a China fund, and Invesco to rework its quant funds.

A new manager for T. Rowe Price New Era, DWS fires a subadvisor, Matthews launches 2 Asia funds and makes manager changes on 2 other funds, Cohen & Steers founders pull back, and a Waddell & Reed bond manager to retire.

Bob Doll to take the helm of a Nuveen large-cap value fund, Gary Black to manage a new alts fund for Calamos, RiverPark drafts a new alts fund, and ALPS plans a tactical Asia-Pacific fund. Also, 3 new actively managed ETFs from PIMCO are ready for launch.

Management changes at Fidelity funds, a new CIO at D.E. Shaw, TIAA-CREF rolls out a new international fund, a Gold-rated FMI fund to close, and more.

Plus, a new manager for Oppenheimer Global Allocation, another manager leaves the subadvisor for Laudus' U.S. large-cap growth fund, Oppenheimer Commodity Strategy Total Return undergoes a portfolio management change, and more.

Brown Brothers Harriman launches a concentrated large-blend fund investing in U.S. and foreign stocks; Vanguard reopens its Capital Opportunity fund to individual investors; Franklin Templeton rolls out an emerging-markets bond fund; USAA seeks permission to create actively managed ETFs; and manager changes at Perkins and Calvert.

The conservative bank-loan fund manager plans to step away at the end of March. Also, DoubleLine recruits more professionals from TCW, Principal files for permission to market actively managed ETFs, T. Rowe Price nears launch of its world-allocation fund, Vanguard to merge away a Florida muni-bond fund, Vanguard Wellington reports lower fees, and a new small-cap fund from BlackRock.

Recent developments mean good news for the firms' institutional clients.

Fidelity has more than doubled the number of commission-free iShares ETFs available through Fidelity's brokerage platform. Also, Joe Balestrino to leave Federated, a host of manager changes at Winslow Capital, Prudential cuts ties with Marsico, and fund closings at Touchstone and Prudential.

Manager changes at MFS and Pioneer, Lord Abbett to merge away its small-blend fund, and Alger hires three former members of Allianz's international equity team.

Harbor Capital Appreciation gets a new comanager, some Vanguard expense ratios fall, Oppenheimer changes a value manager, Vanguard rotates some bond fund managers, a Lord Abbett small-cap blend manager leaves, and more.

Rabobank finally settles on a buyer for most of Robeco, Fidelity to close Fidelity Small Cap Value, Matthews Asia to launch 2 new funds, and Victory Capital gains independence.

As part of Aberdeen's acquisition of Artio, some international fund managers to depart. Also, a management change on a T. Rowe Price health-care fund, Columbia hires Putnam's former asset-allocation head, and ClearBridge and Legg Mason Capital Management funds to merge.

Mark Madden leaves TCW, Oppenheimer adds comanagers, and JPMorgan's Glen Gawronski takes a leave of absence.