This paper is about evaluating and comparing the portfolio preferences of domestic and foreign mutual funds in developed and emerging markets over the period 1998-2007. We find that foreign and domestic mutual funds have some different preferences toward firm characteristics and firm’s information enviroments, and economic development affects the preferences for both types of funds. A country’s characteristics and institutions also influence mutual fund investment decisions when fund managers from their portfolio holdings. Results further show that foreign and domestic mutual funds play a monitoring role in their portfolio firms, but foreign mutual funds cannot monitor firms effectively in emerging markets.