Last week, I presented the first installment of promising mutual funds for your consideration. Here are the last 12.

I'm not recommending that you rush out and invest in any of them. I'm not that familiar with most of them. But if you're looking for one or a few good stock funds, these certainly look promising and are well worth some investigation.

Morningstar.com is a great place to start -- as is each fund's company website. Find and read as much as you can about a fund's manager(s) -- read their letters to shareholders, for example, to get a sense of their character and investment style. Check out the fund's philosophy, track record, fees, size, and minimum investment amount, too. A managed fund's performance ultimately stems from its managers, and some of the managers of the funds below are among the most respected investing minds out there -- for example, Bill Nygren, of Oakmark Funds.

Most of the data below was gathered from Morningstar, as of early March. Some numbers may have changed by now.

  
    1. Mairs & Power Growth Fund
(MPGFX)Morningstar category: Large Blend3-yr. avg. return: 8.85%5-yr. avg. return: 6.04%Expense ratio: 0.76Minimum initial purchase: $2,500Manager tenure (yrs.): 23Median market cap.: $12.5 billionNet assets: $845 millionTurnover: 8%3-yr. avg. tax cost ratio: 1.19Total number of stock holdings: 34

Morningstar report
Fund website 

  2. Oakmark Fund (OAKMX)Morningstar category: Large Value3-yr. avg. return: 9.03%5-yr. avg. return: -1.62%Expense ratio: 1.15%Minimum initial purchase: $1,000Manager tenure (yrs.): 3Median market cap.: $13 billionNet assets: $3.7 billionTurnover: 21%3-yr. avg. tax cost ratio: 0.31Total number of stock holdings: 55

Morningstar report
Fund website 

  
    3. Oakmark International (OAKIX)Morningstar category: Foreign Stock3-yr. avg. return: -3.16%5-yr. avg. return: 0.71%Expense ratio: 1.30Minimum initial purchase: $1,000Manager tenure (yrs.): 11Median market cap.: $4 billionNet assets: $1.7 billionTurnover: 58%3-yr. avg. tax cost ratio: 1.06Total number of stock holdings: 53

Morningstar report
Fund website 

  
    4. Oakmark Select (OAKLX)Morningstar category: Mid-Cap Value3-yr. avg. return: 10.56%5-yr. avg. return: 11.55%Expense ratio: 1.08Minimum initial purchase: $1,000Manager tenure (yrs.): 7Median market cap.: $7.5 billionNet assets: $4.1 billionTurnover: 21%3-yr. avg. tax cost ratio: 0.60Total number of stock holdings: 19

Morningstar report
Fund website 

  
    5. Olstein Financial Alert Fund (OFALX)Morningstar category: Mid-Cap Blend3-yr. avg. return: -1.45%5-yr. avg. return: 5.88%Expense ratio: 2.18Minimum initial purchase: $1,000Manager tenure (yrs.): 8Median market cap.: $1.8 billionNet assets: $1.3 billionTurnover: 107%3-yr. avg. tax cost ratio: 2.26Total number of stock holdings: 102

Morningstar report
Fund website
Fool article: 10 Gems for Value Investors 

  
    6. Royce Low-Priced Stock Fund (RYLPX)Morningstar category: Small Blend3-yr. avg. return: 3.63%5-yr. avg. return: 7.62%Expense ratio: 1.49%Minimum initial purchase: $2,000Manager tenure (yrs.): 4Median market cap.: 470 millionNet assets: $2.1 billionTurnover: 31%3-yr. avg. tax cost ratio: 0.90Total number of stock holdings: 194

Morningstar report
Fund website 

  
    7. Third Avenue Value (TAVFX)Morningstar category: Small Blend3-yr. avg. return: -4.82%5-yr. avg. return: 2.21%Expense ratio: 1.07Minimum initial purchase: $1,000Manager tenure (yrs.): 13Median market cap.: $2 billionNet assets: $2.2 billionTurnover: 16%3-yr. avg. tax cost ratio: 1.72Total number of stock holdings: 102

Morningstar report
Fund website 

  
    8. Tweedy, Browne Global Value (TBGVX)Morningstar category: Foreign Stock3-yr. avg. return: -5.44%5-yr. avg. return: 1.77%Expense ratio: 1.37%Minimum initial purchase: $2,500Manager tenure (yrs.): 10Median market cap.: $3.3 billionNet assets: $3.9 billionTurnover: 7%3-yr. avg. tax cost ratio: 1.64Total number of stock holdings: 184

Morningstar report
Fund website 

  
    9. Vanguard Health Care (VGHCX)Morningstar category: Specialty-Health3-yr. avg. return: 4.62%5-yr. avg. return: 11.47%Expense ratio: 0.31Minimum initial purchase: $25,000Manager tenure (yrs.): 19Median market cap.: $19 billionNet assets: $15.1 billionTurnover: 13%3-yr. avg. tax cost ratio: 2.02Total number of stock holdings: 120

Morningstar report
Fund website 

  
    10. Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund (VTSMX)Morningstar category: Large Blend3-yr. avg. return: -16.39%5-yr. avg. return: -3.15Expense ratio: 0.20Minimum initial purchase: $3,000Manager tenure (yrs.): passively managedMedian market cap.: $26 billionNet assets: $23.5 billionTurnover: 7%3-yr. avg. tax cost ratio: 0.51Total number of stock holdings: 3,179

Morningstar report
Fund website 

  
    11. Vanguard Wellesley Income (VWINX)Morningstar category: Domestic Hybrid3-yr. avg. return: 9.97%5-yr. avg. return: 6.41%Expense ratio: 0.33Minimum initial purchase: $3,000Manager tenure (yrs.): 21Median market cap.: $21.6 billionNet assets: $8.6 billionTurnover: 24%Yield: 4.64%3-yr. avg. tax cost ratio: 2.38Total number of stock holdings: 54

Morningstar report
Fund website 

  
    12. Weitz Value (WVALX)Morningstar category: Mid-Cap Value3-yr. avg. return: 1.03%5-yr. avg. return: 6.47%Expense ratio: 1.06Minimum initial purchase: $25,000Manager tenure (yrs.): 7Median market cap.: $5.5 billionNet assets: $4.3 billionTurnover: 13%3-yr. avg. tax cost ratio: 1.42Total number of stock holdings: 48

Morningstar report
Fund website

As you review these funds, keep in mind that:

  • For comparison purposes, the S&P 500 returned about -15.03% and -3.01%, respectively, annualized over the last three- and five-year periods.

  • Some of these funds' managers trade very infrequently and in seeking long-term growth, may be settling for poor short-term performance. Don't write any of them off due to low short-term results. Remember what a depressed market we've all been investing in during recent years. Dig deeper and review these managers' overall performance.

  • A typical turnover ratio for stock mutual funds is 100%. So, don't think that a ratio of 50% is high just because you see some single-digit ones here.

  • Many funds have lower initial purchase amounts for purchases through IRAs. Look into this, if it applies to you.

  • Look beyond low management tenures. Some here reflect solid, established managers taking the helm of a new fund, while others show experienced understudies taking over.

  • Some of these managers or companies have other funds that you might be interested in.

  • Some of these funds, though compelling in some ways, may end up being lackluster performers in the years ahead.

  • Many of these funds belong to smallish financial companies with interesting websites. Poke around them and learn more about their philosophy.

Share any funds you like or any thoughts on these funds on our Mutual Funds discussion board! Here's a discussion generated by this article the first time it ran. (Free, painless trial required, if you're not already a Fool Community subscriber.)

If you don't have the time to study up on mutual funds or individual stocks, then I do recommend our friend, the index fund. Learn more about mutual funds in general, and all about index funds, here at the Fool. Also, if you're looking for a new or better brokerage, drop by our Broker Center. Most brokerages let you buy into a variety of mutual funds, as well as stocks.

Selena Maranjian is smarter than a speeding bullet and faster than a tall building. For more about her, view her bio and her profile. You might also be interested in books she has written or co-written: The Motley Fool Money Guide and The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens . The Motley Fool is Fools writing for Fools.