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Is Franklin DynaTech A (FKDNX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

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If you've been stuck searching for Sector - Tech funds, consider Franklin DynaTech A (FKDNX - Free Report) as a possibility. FKDNX holds a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

Objective

FKDNX is part of the Sector - Tech category, which boasts an array of different possible selections. With a much more diversified approach, Sector - Tech mutual funds give investors a way to own a stake in a notoriously risky sector. Tech companies are in various industries like semiconductors, software, internet, and networking, among others.

History of Fund/Manager

FKDNX is a part of the Franklin family of funds, a company based out of San Mateo, CA. The Franklin DynaTech A made its debut in January of 1968 and FKDNX has managed to accumulate roughly $10.70 billion in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund's current manager, Rupert H. Johnson Jr.Has been in charge of the fund since January of 1968.

Performance

Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 13.43%, and it sits in the middle third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 0.63%, which places it in the bottom 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. Over the past three years, FKDNX's standard deviation comes in at 25.04%, compared to the category average of 0%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 23.71% compared to the category average of 32%. This makes the fund less volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

Risk Factors

Investors should not forget about beta, an important way to measure a mutual fund's risk compared to the market as a whole. FKDNX has a 5-year beta of 1.13, which means it is likely to be more volatile than the market average. Alpha is an additional metric to take into consideration, since it represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which in this case, is the S&P 500. FKDNX has generated a negative alpha over the past five years of -1.88, demonstrating that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.

Expenses

For investors, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is key, since costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing. Competition is heating up in this space, and a lower cost product will likely outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, all things being equal. In terms of fees, FKDNX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.80% compared to the category average of 44%. From a cost perspective, FKDNX is actually cheaper than its peers.

This fund requires a minimum initial investment of $1,000, while there is no minimum for each subsequent investment.

Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included.

Bottom Line

Overall, Franklin DynaTech A ( FKDNX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, better downside risk, and lower fees, this fund looks like a great potential choice for investors right now.

Want even more information about FKDNX? Then go over to Zacks.com and check out our mutual fund comparison tool, and all of the other great features that we have to help you with your mutual fund analysis for additional information. And don't forget, Zacks has all of your needs covered on the equity side too! Make sure to check out Zacks.com for more information on our screening capabilities, Rank, and all our articles as well.


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