Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Is Delaware Healthcare I (DLHIX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Any investors hoping to find a Mutual Fund Equity Report fund might consider looking past Delaware Healthcare I (DLHIX - Free Report) . DLHIX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 5 (Strong Sell), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

History of Fund/Manager

Delaware Investments is based in Philadelphia, PA, and is the manager of DLHIX. The Delaware Healthcare I made its debut in September of 2007 and DLHIX has managed to accumulate roughly $513.24 million in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund's current manager, Liu-Er Chen, has been in charge of the fund since September of 2007.

Performance

Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 10.82%, and it sits in the middle third among its category peers. If you're interested in shorter time frames, do not dismiss looking at the fund's 3-year annualized total return of 9.67%, 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. DLHIX's standard deviation over the past three years is 17.21% compared to the category average of 15.66%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 16.49% compared to the category average of 14.16%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

Risk Factors

The fund has a 5-year beta of 0.8, so investors should note that it is hypothetically less volatile than the market at large. Because alpha represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which is the S&P 500 in this case, one should pay attention to this metric as well. DLHIX's 5-year performance has produced a positive alpha of 0.12, which means managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.

Expenses

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, DLHIX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.98% compared to the category average of 1.30%. DLHIX is actually cheaper than its peers when you consider factors like cost.

While the minimum initial investment for the product is $0, investors should also note that there is no minimum for each subsequent investment.

Bottom Line

Overall, Delaware Healthcare I ( DLHIX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, Delaware Healthcare I ( DLHIX ) looks like a somewhat weak choice for investors right now.

Want even more information about DLHIX? 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. Zacks provides a full suite of tools to help you analyze your portfolio - both funds and stocks - in the most efficient way possible.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


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


Delaware Healthcare I (DLHIX) - free report >>

Published in