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Is AMG Yacktman I (YACKX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

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On the lookout for an All Cap Value fund? Starting with AMG Yacktman I (YACKX - Free Report) should not be a possibility at this time. YACKX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 5 (Strong Sell), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

Objective

We classify YACKX in the All Cap Value category, an area rife with potential choices. Like the name suggests, MUTUAL FUNDS invest in small, medium, and large-cap companies, though they end up focusing on bigger firms due to percentage of assets. These funds look for key value characteristics, targeting stocks that boast low P/E ratios, high dividend yields, and whose share prices do not reflect their worth.

History of Fund/Manager

YACKX is a part of the AMG Funds family of funds, a company based out of Norwalk, CT. The AMG Yacktman I made its debut in July of 1992 and YACKX has managed to accumulate roughly $8.35 billion in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund's current manager, Stephen Yacktman, has been in charge of the fund since December of 2002.

Performance

Investors naturally seek funds with strong performance. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 7.65%, and is in the top 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 11.67%, 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. YACKX's standard deviation over the past three years is 7.58% compared to the category average of 13.73%. Looking at the past 5 years, the fund's standard deviation is 8.55% compared to the category average of 13.1%. This makes the fund less volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

Risk Factors

One cannot ignore the volatility of this segment, however, as it is always important for investors to remember the downside to any potential investment. In YACKX's case, the fund lost 40.99% in the most recent bear market and outperformed its peer group by 7%. This might suggest that the fund is a better choice than its peers during a bear market.

Nevertheless, investors should also note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 0.63, which means 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. YACKX has generated a positive alpha over the past five years of 0.3, demonstrating that 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, YACKX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.70% compared to the category average of 1.17%. So, YACKX is actually cheaper than its peers from a cost perspective.

Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $100,000 and that each subsequent investment needs to be at $100.

Bottom Line

Overall, AMG Yacktman I ( YACKX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, this fund looks like a somewhat weak choice for investors right now.

This could just be the start of your research on YACKXin the All Cap Value 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. 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.


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