Mendon’s Bullfinch Fund Unrestricted Series Additionally Ranked Number Five In The Same Category For The Last 12 Months
The Rochester Business Journal reported last week that The Wall Street Journal has listed Mendon-based Carosa Stanton Asset Management LLC’s Bullfinch Fund Unrestricted Series (BUNRX) as the top performing mutual fund in the nation, year-to-date, among all value funds in 2026. The fund has also been ranked number five in the same category for the last 12 month period. Also in the same category, the company’s Bullfinch Fund Greater Western New York Series (BWNYX) was ranked number ten for the 12 month period.
The Unrestricted Series was launched in July 1997. It is a multi-cap value fund, meaning it can invest in companies of all sizes, as long as they meet specific financial or accounting criteria. The value criteria used is based on the teachings of Ben Graham, and has been used by the legendary investor Warren Buffet.
The Greater Western New York Series was launched in December 1997. This fund must invest at least 80% of its net assets in companies with a significant economic interest in the 17 county Greater Western New York Region. These can be publicly traded companies that are headquartered here, have a minimum investment here, or employ a minimum number of employees in the region.
“Both funds have benefited from a shift towards undervalued stocks, which make up the bulk of their holdings. This rotation began in earnest last year and it’s been a long time coming.” says Christopher Carosa, CTFA, President & Portfolio Manager of Bullfinch Fund Inc. [Mr. Carosa is also the publisher of The Sentinel]. “We’re really excited about what this means for the Unrestricted Series, and we’re particularly proud to have our local companies in the Western New York Series receive such national attention.”
Founded in 1997, Carosa, Stanton Asset Management, LLC, is a Registered Investment Adviser that in addition to managing the Bullfinch Fund Inc., provides private investment counsel to individual trustees and fiduciaries. The firm’s style is value-oriented long-term conservative, with an emphasis on behavioral finance. Its president, Christopher Carosa CTFA, with more than 40 years of experience, is often featured and quoted in national media news outlets. The firm is based in Mendon, NY.
The Bullfinch Fund is a family of flexible, no-load mutual funds. The Unrestricted Series is the flagship fund, and the Greater Western New York Series is the only regional mutual fund investing exclusively in local companies.
Both Carosa Stanton Asset Management, LLC and the Bullfinch Funds have been a fixture in the hamlet of Mendon for several decades. Both companies have actively sponsored events and activites within both the community and the broader Greater Western New York Region.
For several years these companies helped organize the Western New York Investors Conference which rotated between Buffalo and Rochester. These conferences brought in professional securities analysts from as far away as Japan to visit and review local publicly traded companies.
As Mr. Carosa said at the time of the conferences, “I invited my biggest competitors to come and steal some of my greatest ideas.” As local companies gained broader notoriety, they were invited to national conferences and the need for a local conference dissipated.
This isn’t the first time one of the Bullfinch Funds topped the national rankings. Twice in the 2000s the Greater Western New York Series was recognized by the national media for being the best performing fund. In February 2004, USA Today and CBS MarketWatch both ranked it #1 among all funds, regardless of category. A few years later Baron’s featured it as the #1 fund in its category.
The Bullfinch Fund is truly a family affair with Betsy Carosa acting as Fund Secretary and Accountant, son Peter serving on the Board of Directors and daughter Catarina in the position of Vice President handling a portion of the securities research. Daughter Cesidia helps with publicity. She was responsible for the RBJ’s coverage.
