Here's a look at the Akre Focus Fund, one of the strongest recent performers in the mid-cap growth stock mutual fund category. Just two of the hundreds of funds in its peer group have topped its 34 percent return over the past 12 months. Top contributors to the fund's recent performance have been stocks of discount retailers that are among the fund's top 10 holdings, including Ross Stores and Dollar Tree. Other contributors include payment processors MasterCard and Visa.

TICKER: AKREX

STOCK INVESTMENT CATEGORY: Mid-Cap Growth

YEAR-TO-DATE RETURN: 11.3 percent

S&P 500 TOTAL RETURN: 12.9 percent

12-MONTH RETURN: 34 percent

S&P 500: 28.1 percent

FUND ASSETS: $1.1 billion

EXPENSE RATIO: 1.45 percent

MINIMUM INITIAL INVESTMENT: $2,000

MANAGER: Chuck Akre

FUND LAUNCH DATE: August 2009

RECENT TOP 10 HOLDINGS

- MasterCard (9.7 percent of portfolio)

- Ross Stores (7.6 percent)

-- Moody's Corp. (6.2 percent)

- American Tower (5.9 percent)

- Markel Corp. (5 percent

-- Dollar Tree Stores (4.8 percent)

- Visa Inc. (4.3 percent)

-- DirecTV (4.1 percent)

-- TD Ameritrade Holding (4 percent)

-- LPL Financial Holdings (4 percent)

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Note: Data through August 8; portfolio holdings as of June 30

Sources: Morningstar, Akre Capital Management