Nothing excites a value-stock investor more than a discount. Any chance to acquire shares of a company when it's out of favor, especially a business that generates lots of cash, puts dollar signs in a value buyer's eyes. Nowadays, thrifty mutual-fund managers are finding value in an unfamiliar territory: the technology sector. And tech's strong rebound in the past few months is helping some out-of-favor large-cap value funds deliver strong results. This week's lead story, "Value Funds' Hidden Key to Performance," shows which big-name tech stocks value managers consider cheaply priced, and why this rally could power ahead. Then, read about a hedge fund-like alternative to bonds that might appeal to conservative investors, and why securities regulators are investigating marketing deals at more than two dozen fund companies. Plus, Chuck Jaffe looks at what to do if your retirement-plan options switch, and Paul Farrell tells a terrifying tale of zombie funds lurking among us, all on MarketWatch's Mutual Funds page this week. Some stalwart value managers undoubtedly will avoid tech stocks, refusing to chase a sector better known to growth-stock managers and momentum traders. But in the months ahead, these holdouts may find that not plugging into technology means being disconnected from the market's best gains. Jonathan Burton, investments editor Value fund's ace in the hole: Technology There's an old saying on Wall Street that a stock doesn't know you own it. Nowhere is that more true today than in mutual funds with a value bent that have embraced the large-cap tech stocks typically lining growth-oriented portfolios. This unorthodox move has tested shareholders' patience and purses, but patience has its reward: The technology sector's recent surge is now fueling some popular funds that were down on their luck just weeks ago. See Mutual Understanding.INVESTINGAbsolute Return funds as bond alternative Investors intending to reduce risk in their portfolio might look beyond bonds to an expanding lineup of specialized stock mutual-funds that mimic hedge funds. See full story.Adding a 'K' to ETFs An investment firm that offers ready-made exchange-traded fund portfolios to financial advisers could be paving the way for its ETF strategies to reach the larger retirement and insurance markets. See ETF Investing.T. Rowe in the market for small buys T. Rowe Price Group Inc. is looking to grow its asset-management operations by purchasing smaller firms that are exiting the business in the wake of increased regulatory scrutiny, Chairman George Roche said. See FundWatch.SEC reportedly examining mutual-fund kickbacks More than two dozen mutual fund companies are under investigation for allegedly accepting hundreds of millions of dollars in kickbacks from outside contractors, according to a published report Thursday. See full story.T. Rowe, Amvescap shares decline Shares of asset managers T. Rowe Price Group Inc. and Amvescap Plc traded sharply lower after the companies reported quarterly results. T. Rowe's profit came in shy of consensus analyst expectations as Amvescap posted unexpected outflows in its long-term investment products. See full story.Janus quarterly net falls