If you’ve been stuck searching for Allocation Balanced funds, consider Fidelity Asset Manager 85% (FAMRX) as a possibility. FAMRX holds a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.
FAMRX is one of many Zacks’ Allocation Balanced mutual funds to pick from. Allocation Balanced funds seek to invest in a balance of asset types, like stocks, bonds, and cash, though including precious metals or commodities is not unusual; these funds are mostly categorized by their respective asset allocation. Investors utilize Allocation Balanced funds as a way to get a good start with diversified mutual funds, as well as for core holdings in a portfolio of funds.
Fidelity is based in Boston, MA, and is the manager of FAMRX. Since Fidelity Asset Manager 85% made its debut in September of 1999, FAMRX has garnered more than $2.53 billion in assets. The fund is currently managed by Avishek Hazrachoudhury who has been in charge of the fund since April of 2018.
Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 9.94%, and it sits 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 14.39%, 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 13.5%, the standard deviation of FAMRX over the past three years is 13.41%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 14.15% compared to the category average of 12.99%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.
With a 5-year beta of 0.86, the fund 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. FAMRX has generated a negative alpha over the past five years of -2.81, demonstrating that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.
As competition heats up in the mutual fund market, costs become increasingly important. Compared to its otherwise identical counterpart, a low-cost product will be an outperformer, all other things being equal. Thus, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is vital for investors. In terms of fees, FAMRX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.60% compared to the category average of 0.91%. From a cost perspective, FAMRX is actually cheaper than its peers.
While the minimum initial investment for the product is $0, investors should also note that there is no minimum for each subsequent investment.
Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into consideration. Returns would be less if those were included.
Overall, Fidelity Asset Manager 85% ( FAMRX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, Fidelity Asset Manager 85% ( FAMRX ) looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.
Your research on the Allocation Balanced segment doesn’t have to stop here. You can check out all the great mutual fund tools we have to offer by going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds to see the additional features we offer as well for additional information. If you are more of a stock investor, make sure to also check out our Zacks Rank, and our full suite of tools we have available for novice and professional investors alike.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).