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Is Fidelity Telecom/Utilities Fund (FIUIX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

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Having trouble finding a Sector - Utilities fund? Fidelity Telecom/Utilities Fund (FIUIX - Free Report) is a potential starting point. FIUIX carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

Objective

FIUIX is classified in the Sector - Utilities segment by Zacks, an area full of potential. Sector - Utilities mutual funds focus on companies that provide essential servicessuch as electric power, gas distribution, and water supplyto millions of people on a daily basis. Overall, the utility industry is known for its stability and reduced volatility.

History of Fund/Manager

Fidelity is based in Boston, MA, and is the manager of FIUIX. The Fidelity Telecom/Utilities Fund made its debut in November of 1987 and FIUIX has managed to accumulate roughly $15.32 million in assets, as of the most recently available information. Douglas Simmons is the fund's current manager and has held that role since September of 2005.

Performance

Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. FIUIX has a 5-year annualized total return of 9.15% and it sits in the top third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 11.36%, 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. Compared to the category average of 0%, the standard deviation of FIUIX over the past three years is 16.4%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 15.98% compared to the category average of 67%. 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. FIUIX has a 5-year beta of 0.65, which means it is likely to be less volatile than the market average. 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. FIUIX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -1.36, which means 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, FIUIX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.77% compared to the category average of 57%. From a cost perspective, FIUIX is actually cheaper than its peers.

Investors need to be aware that with this product, the minimum initial investment is $0; each subsequent investment has no minimum amount.

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

Bottom Line

Overall, Fidelity Telecom/Utilities Fund ( FIUIX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, better downside risk, and lower fees, Fidelity Telecom/Utilities Fund ( FIUIX ) looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.

This could just be the start of your research on FIUIXin the Sector - Utilities category. Consider going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for additional information about this fund, and all the others that we rank as well for additional information. For analysis of the rest of your portfolio, make sure to visit Zacks.com for our full suite of tools which will help you investigate all of your stocks and funds in one place.


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