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Is Semper MBS Total Return Investor (SEMPX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

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Any investors hoping to find a Mutual Fund Equity Report fund could think about starting with Semper MBS Total Return Investor (SEMPX - Free Report) . SEMPX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

History of Fund/Manager

Semper is based in New York, NY, and is the manager of SEMPX. Since Semper MBS Total Return Investor made its debut in July of 2013, SEMPX has garnered more than $25.94 million in assets. The fund is currently managed by Thomas Mandel who has been in charge of the fund since January of 2015.

Performance

Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of -0.84%, and it sits in the bottom 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 -4%, 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. Compared to the category average of 13.25%, the standard deviation of SEMPX over the past three years is 14.19%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 10.98% compared to the category average of 11.53%. This makes the fund less volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

Risk Factors

Investors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 0.45, which means it is hypothetically less volatile than the market at large. Alpha is an additional metric to take into consideration, since it represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which in this case, is the S&P 500. The fund has produced a negative alpha over the past 5 years of -0.72, which shows that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick 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, SEMPX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.09% compared to the category average of 0.78%. SEMPX is actually more expensive than its peers when you consider factors like cost.

Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $2,500 and that each subsequent investment needs to be at $1,000.

Bottom Line

Overall, Semper MBS Total Return Investor ( SEMPX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively weak performance, average downside risk, and higher fees, this fund looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.

This could just be the start of your research on SEMPXin the Mutual Fund Equity Report 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. And don't forget, Zacks has all of your needs covered on the equity side too! Make sure to check out Zacks.com for more information on our screening capabilities, Rank, and all our articles as well.


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