Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Is ProFunds Internet UltraSector Investor (INPIX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

If you have been looking for Sector - Tech funds, a place to start could be ProFunds Internet UltraSector Investor (INPIX - Free Report) . INPIX carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

Objective

INPIX is part of the Sector - Tech category, which boasts an array of different possible selections. With a much more diversified approach, Sector - Tech mutual funds give investors a way to own a stake in a notoriously risky sector. Tech companies are in various industries like semiconductors, software, internet, and networking, among others.

History of Fund/Manager

INPIX is a part of the ProFunds family of funds, a company based out of Columbus, OH. The ProFunds Internet UltraSector Investor made its debut in June of 2000 and INPIX has managed to accumulate roughly $139.47 million in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund is currently managed by Michael Neches who has been in charge of the fund since October of 2013.

Performance

Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 33.7%, and is 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 38.76%, which places it in the top 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 12.11%, the standard deviation of INPIX over the past three years is 24.02%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 23.2% compared to the category average of 11.45%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

Risk Factors

It's always important to be aware of the downsides to any future investment, so one should not discount the risks that come with this segment. In INPIX's case, the fund lost 69.55% in the most recent bear market and underperformed comparable funds by 16.62%. This makes the fund a possibly worse choice than its peers during a sliding market environment.

Investors should not forget about beta, an important way to measure a mutual fund's risk compared to the market as a whole. INPIX has a 5-year beta of 1.77, which means it is likely to be more volatile than the market average. 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. The fund has produced a positive alpha over the past 5 years of 5.33, which shows 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 primarily on equities that are traded in the United States.

This fund is currently holding about 82.57% stock in stocks, with an average market capitalization of $183.81 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors:

  1. Technology
  2. Other

Turnover is about 27%, so those in charge of the fund make fewer trades than comparable funds.

Expenses

For investors, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is key, since costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing. Competition is heating up in this space, and a lower cost product will likely outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, all things being equal. In terms of fees, INPIX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.46% compared to the category average of 1.07%. So, INPIX is actually more expensive than its peers from a cost perspective.

While the minimum initial investment for the product is $15,000, investors should also note that there is no minimum for each subsequent investment.

Bottom Line

Overall, ProFunds Internet UltraSector Investor has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, worse downside risk, and higher fees, ProFunds Internet UltraSector Investor looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.

Don't stop here for your research on Sector - Tech funds. We also have plenty more on our site in order to help you find the best possible fund for your portfolio. Make sure to check out www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for more information about the world of funds, and feel free to compare INPIX to its peers as well 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:


ProFunds Internet UltraSector Inv (INPIX) - free report >>