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4 Must-Have Funds With High Treynor Ratio for Solid Returns

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Per the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) latest report, U.S. manufacturing activity hit its highest levels in more than 37 years in March. The metric came in at 64.7% in March, compared to 60.8% in the previous month. That was its highest level since December 1983.

Of the 18 manufacturing industries that were surveyed, 17 reported growth. Furthermore, the new orders index increased 3.2 percentage points to 68% in March. Meanwhile, the production index increased 4.9 percentage points to hit 68.1%. Notably, the employment index increased 5.2 percentage points to hit 59.6%.

Meanwhile, per the latest report from the Institute of Supply Management (ISM), its service index came in at 63.7% in March, surpassing the previous month’s reading of 55.3%. This also marked its highest level on record since 1997. Experts opined that easing restrictions and a rise in vaccinations have been pivotal in boosting the large service side of the U.S. economy.

Under such circumstances, risk-loving investors should consider parking their money in mutual funds with high Treynor ratios. Notably, the Treynor ratio equates excess returns over the risk-free rate to the additional risk taken by an investor.

What Does Treynor Ratio Mean for Mutual Funds?

Treynor ratio, also sometimes referred to as the reward-volatility ratio, essentially measures how successful an investment is in terms of returns, taking into consideration the inherent level of risk involved. This ratio was developed by Jack L. Treynor. Mathematically, the Treynor ratio is calculated as follows:

Treynor Ratio = (Rp – Rf)/βp

Where,

  • Rp = Expected Portfolio Return
  • Rf – Risk Free Rate
  • Beta(p) = Portfolio Beta

The Treynor ratio assumes that since risk is an unavoidable element of any investment, it has to be fined. Moreover, the higher the value of the Treynor ratio, the better it is from an investor’s perspective because it indicates greater returns generated from high risks.

4 Best Choices

We have, thus, selected four mutual funds carrying a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) that are poised to gain from such factors. Moreover, these funds have encouraging three and five-year returns. Additionally, the minimum initial investment is within $5000 and each of these funds has a high three-year Treynor ratio.

We expect these funds to outperform their peers in the future. Remember, the goal of the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank is to guide investors to identify potential winners and losers. Unlike most of the fund-rating systems, the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank is not just focused on past performance, but also on the likely future success of the fund.

The question here is: why should investors consider mutual funds? Reduced transaction costs and diversification of portfolio without several commission charges that are associated with stock purchases are primarily why one should be parking money in mutual funds (read more: Mutual Funds: Advantages, Disadvantages, and How They Make Investors Money).

Calvert Equity Fund Class A (CSIEX - Free Report) primarily invests its assets in equity securities of companies with market capitalization ranked among the top 1000 U.S.-listed companies. The fund mostly aims for capital appreciation. CSIEX may also invest up to 25% of its assets in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign companies that trade in the United States. 

This Large Cap Growth product has a history of positive total returns for over 10 years. To see how this fund performed compared with its category, and other 1 and 2 Ranked Mutual Funds, please click here.

CSIEX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 and an annual expense ratio of 0.94%, which is below the category average of 1.04%. The fund has three and three-year returns of 21.2% and 18.1%, respectively. CSIEX had a Treynor ratio of 21.85 in the last three years.

Fidelity Advisor Equity Growth Fund Class A (EPGAX - Free Report) seeks capital appreciation and invests the lion’s share of its assets in equity securities of companies that the advisor believes have above-average growth potential. EPGAX invests in both U.S. and non-U.S. companies.

This Large Cap Growth product has a history of positive total returns for over 10 years. To see how this fund performed compared with its category, and other 1 and 2 Ranked Mutual Funds, please click here.

EPGAX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #2 and an annual expense ratio of 0.99%, which is below the category average of 1.04%. The fund has three and five-year returns of 22.7% and 23.8%, respectively. EPGAX had a Treynor ratio of 21.23 in the last three years.

Fidelity Select Software & IT Services Portfolio (FSCSX - Free Report) fund invests the majority of its assets in companies whose primary operations are related to software or information-based services. It primarily focuses on acquiring common stocks of both domestic and foreign companies.

This Sector - Tech product has a history of positive total returns for more than 10 years. To see how this fund performed compared in its category, and other 1 and 2 Ranked Mutual Funds, please click here.

FSCSX carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 and an annual expense ratio of 0.71%, which is below the category average of 1.24%. The fund has three and five-year returns of 25.2% and 28.7%, respectively. FSCSX had a Treynor ratio of 23.44 in the last three years.

American Century NT Growth Fund G Class  seeks long-term appreciation of capital. The fund’s portfolio managers search for stocks of large-sized companies that demonstrate business improvement and are expected to increase in value over time.

This Large Cap Growth product has a history of positive total returns for over 10 years. To see how this fund performed compared with its category, and other 1 and 2 Ranked Mutual Funds, please click here.

ACLTX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 and an annual expense ratio of 0.00%, which is below the category average of 1.04%. The fund has three and five-year returns of 21.1% and 22.4%, respectively. ACLTX had a Treynor ratio of 19.64 in the last three years.

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