There are plenty of choices in the Sector – Tech category, but where should you start your research? Well, one fund that might be worth investigating is Fidelity Select Semiconductors (FSELX). FSELX carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.
Objective
We note that FSELX is a Sector – Tech option, and this area is loaded with many options. Found in a wide number of industries such as semiconductors, software, internet, and networking, tech companies are everywhere. Thus, Sector – Tech mutual funds that invest in technology let investors own a stake in a notoriously volatile sector, but with a much more diversified approach.
History of Fund/Manager
Fidelity is based in Boston, MA, and is the manager of FSELX. Fidelity Select Semiconductors debuted in July of 1985. Since then, FSELX has accumulated assets of about $51.35 billion, according to the most recently available information. The fund’s current manager, Adam Benjamin, has been in charge of the fund since March of 2020.
Performance
Investors naturally seek funds with strong performance. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 41.77%, and is in the top third among its category peers. But if you are looking for a shorter time frame, it is also worth looking at its 3-year annualized total return of 59.68%, which places it in the top third during this time-frame.
It is important to note that the product’s returns may not reflect all its expenses. Any fees not reflected would lower the returns. Total returns do not reflect the fund’s [%] sale charge. If sales charges were included, total returns would have been lower.
When looking at a fund’s performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. The standard deviation of FSELX over the past three years is 32.11% compared to the category average of 20.05%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 36.4% compared to the category average of 23.03%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.
Risk Factors
Investors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 1.86, which means it is hypothetically more volatile than the market at large. Another factor to consider is alpha, as it reflects a portfolio’s performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark-in this case, the S&P 500. FSELX has generated a positive alpha over the past five years of 19.93, demonstrating that managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.