Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Is Fidelity OTC Portfolio K (FOCKX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

On the lookout for a Large Cap Growth fund? Starting with Fidelity OTC Portfolio K (FOCKX - Free Report) is one possibility. FOCKX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

Objective

We classify FOCKX in the Large Cap Growth category, an area rife with potential choices. Large Cap Growth funds invest in many large U.S. companies that are expected to grow much faster compared to other large-cap stocks. To be considered large-cap, companies must have a market cap over $10 billion.

History of Fund/Manager

FOCKX finds itself in the Fidelity family, based out of Boston, MA. Fidelity OTC Portfolio K made its debut in May of 2008, and since then, FOCKX has accumulated about $6.91 billion in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. The fund is currently managed by Christopher Lin who has been in charge of the fund since September of 2017.

Performance

Obviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 18.45%, 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 7.52%, which places it in the middle 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. FOCKX's standard deviation over the past three years is 20.3% compared to the category average of 17.59%. The fund's standard deviation over the past 5 years is 20.99% compared to the category average of 18.02%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

Risk Factors

Investors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 1.08, so it is likely going to be more 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. FOCKX has generated a positive alpha over the past five years of 3.2, demonstrating that managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.

Holdings

Exploring the equity holdings of a mutual fund is also a valuable exercise. This can show us how the manager is applying their stated methodology, as well as if there are any inherent biases in their approach. For this particular fund, the focus is largely on equities that are traded in the United States.

Right now, 90.9% of this mutual fund's holdings are stocks, with an average market capitalization of $570.04 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors:

  • Technology
  • Retail Trade
Turnover is 15%, which means, on average, the fund makes fewer trades than comparable funds.

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, FOCKX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.69% compared to the category average of 0.95%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, FOCKX is actually cheaper than its peers.

Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $0 and that each subsequent investment has no minimum amount.

Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included.

Bottom Line

Overall, Fidelity OTC Portfolio K ( FOCKX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, Fidelity OTC Portfolio K ( FOCKX ) looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.

This could just be the start of your research on FOCKXin the Large Cap Growth 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. For analysis of the rest of your portfolio, make sure to visit Zacks.com for our full suite of tools which will help you investigate all of your stocks and funds in one place.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


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


Fidelity OTC Portfolio K (FOCKX) - free report >>

Published in