Founded in 1889, Northern Trusts manages assets worth over $1 trillion (as of June 30, 2017) based on assets raised in the country. The company generally focuses on funds that have long-term performance. Moreover, all the Northern funds bear no sales load, making them strong investment choices for those seeking low-cost funds.

Northern Trusts is one of the major asset management companies, providing a variety of investment solutions and strategies to both individuals and institutions. It comprises investment professionals with experience of more than 15 years. At present, the company has more than 20 branches globally and around 16,500 employees all over the world.

Below we share three top-ranked Northern mutual funds. Each has earned a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and is expected to outperform peers. 

Northern AZ Tax-Exempt Fund (NOAZX - Free Report) invests the majority of its assets in debt securities whose interest income is free from federal income tax. NOAZX seeks to offer high level of income which is exempted from not only federal income tax but also from Arizona State personal income tax. The fund’s maturity period normally ranges from 10 to 30 years. Northern AZ Tax-Exempt has three-year annualized returns of 3.1%.

NOAZX has an expense ratio of 0.46% compared with the category average of 0.92%.

Northern Global Real Estate Index (NGREX - Free Report) invests a bulk portion of its assets in equity securities of companies included in the FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Global Index. Companies which are involved in real estate sector are normally included in this index. Northern Global Real Estate Indexhas three-year annualized returns of 4.1%.

As of June 2017, NGREX held 490 issues, with 3.17% of its assets invested in Simon Property Group Inc.

Northern Small Cap Core Fund (NSGRX - Free Report) seeks appreciation of capital over the long haul. NSGRX invests more than 80% of its assets in common stocks of small-cap companies. Basically, small-cap companies with market-cap in the range of the Russell 2000 Index. Northern Small Cap Core Fund has three-year annualized returns of 7.3%.

Robert Bergson has been the fund manager of NSGRX since 2010.