Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Is Franklin Mutual Global Discovery A (TEDIX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

On the lookout for a Global - Equity fund? Starting with Franklin Mutual Global Discovery A (TEDIX - Free Report) should not be a possibility at this time. TEDIX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 5 (Strong Sell), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

Objective

TEDIX is classified in the Global - Equity segment by Zacks, an area full of possibilities. Even though Global - Equity mutual funds invest in bigger markets like the U.S., Europe, and Japan, these kinds of funds aren't limited by geography. Rather, they offer an investment strategy that utilizes the global economy to provide stable returns.

History of Fund/Manager

Franklin Templeton is responsible for TEDIX, and the company is based out of San Mateo, CA. Franklin Mutual Global Discovery A debuted in December of 1992. Since then, TEDIX has accumulated assets of about $5.62 billion, according to the most recently available information. The fund is currently managed by a team of investment professionals.

Performance

Investors naturally seek funds with strong performance. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 7.17%, and it sits in the bottom third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 6.06%, which places it in the bottom third during this time-frame.

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 TEDIX over the past three years is 20.52% compared to the category average of 15.7%. Looking at the past 5 years, the fund's standard deviation is 16.39% compared to the category average of 12.93%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

Risk Factors

The fund has a 5-year beta of 0.96, so investors should note that it is hypothetically less 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. TEDIX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -7.58, which means managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.

Expenses

Costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing, and particularly as competition heats up in this market. And all things being equal, a lower cost product will outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, so taking a closer look at these metrics is key for investors. In terms of fees, TEDIX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.29% compared to the category average of 1.13%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, TEDIX is actually more expensive than its peers.

While the minimum initial investment for the product is $1,000, investors should also note that there is no minimum for each subsequent investment.

Bottom Line

Overall, Franklin Mutual Global Discovery A ( TEDIX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively weak performance, average downside risk, and higher fees, this fund looks like a somewhat weak choice for investors right now.

For additional information on this product, or to compare it to other mutual funds in the Global - Equity, make sure to go to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for additional information. Want to learn even more? We have a full suite of tools on stocks that you can use to find the best choices for your portfolio too, no matter what kind of investor you are.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


Franklin Mutual Global Discovery A (TEDIX) - free report >>

Published in