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Is BlackRock Science & Technology Opportunities A (BGSAX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?
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If you've been stuck searching for Mutual Fund Equity Report funds, consider BlackRock Science & Technology Opportunities A (BGSAX - Free Report) as a possibility. BGSAX possesses a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.
History of Fund/Manager
BGSAX finds itself in the BlackRock family, based out of New York, NY. The BlackRock Science & Technology Opportunities A made its debut in May of 2000 and BGSAX has managed to accumulate roughly $1.49 billion in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund is currently managed by Tony Kim who has been in charge of the fund since June of 2013.
Performance
Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 16.68%, and is in the top third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 10.77%, which places it in the middle 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. BGSAX's standard deviation over the past three years is 25.92% compared to the category average of 17.22%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 23.41% compared to the category average of 15.55%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.
Risk Factors
With a 5-year beta of 1.15, the fund 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. Over the past 5 years, the fund has a positive alpha of 4.46. This means that managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.
Holdings
Examining 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 mostly on equities that are traded in the United States.
Right now, 97.7% of this mutual fund's holdings are stocks, which have an average market capitalization of $379.88 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors:
Technology
Retail Trade
Turnover is about 25%, so those in charge of the fund make 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, BGSAX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.17% compared to the category average of 1.30%. BGSAX is actually cheaper than its peers when you consider factors like cost.
This fund requires a minimum initial investment of $1,000, and each subsequent investment should be at least $50.
Bottom Line
Overall, BlackRock Science & Technology Opportunities A ( BGSAX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, worse downside risk, and lower fees, this fund looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.
Your research on the Mutual Fund Equity Report segment doesn't have to stop here. You can check out all the great mutual fund tools we have to offer by going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds to see the additional features we offer as well for additional information. If you are more of a stock investor, make sure to also check out our Zacks Rank, and our full suite of tools we have available for novice and professional investors alike.
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Is BlackRock Science & Technology Opportunities A (BGSAX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?
If you've been stuck searching for Mutual Fund Equity Report funds, consider BlackRock Science & Technology Opportunities A (BGSAX - Free Report) as a possibility. BGSAX possesses a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.
History of Fund/Manager
BGSAX finds itself in the BlackRock family, based out of New York, NY. The BlackRock Science & Technology Opportunities A made its debut in May of 2000 and BGSAX has managed to accumulate roughly $1.49 billion in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund is currently managed by Tony Kim who has been in charge of the fund since June of 2013.
Performance
Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 16.68%, and is in the top third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 10.77%, which places it in the middle 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. BGSAX's standard deviation over the past three years is 25.92% compared to the category average of 17.22%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 23.41% compared to the category average of 15.55%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.
Risk Factors
With a 5-year beta of 1.15, the fund 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. Over the past 5 years, the fund has a positive alpha of 4.46. This means that managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.
Holdings
Examining 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 mostly on equities that are traded in the United States.
Right now, 97.7% of this mutual fund's holdings are stocks, which have an average market capitalization of $379.88 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors:
- Technology
- Retail Trade
Turnover is about 25%, so those in charge of the fund make 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, BGSAX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.17% compared to the category average of 1.30%. BGSAX is actually cheaper than its peers when you consider factors like cost.
This fund requires a minimum initial investment of $1,000, and each subsequent investment should be at least $50.
Bottom Line
Overall, BlackRock Science & Technology Opportunities A ( BGSAX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, worse downside risk, and lower fees, this fund looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.
Your research on the Mutual Fund Equity Report segment doesn't have to stop here. You can check out all the great mutual fund tools we have to offer by going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds to see the additional features we offer as well for additional information. If you are more of a stock investor, make sure to also check out our Zacks Rank, and our full suite of tools we have available for novice and professional investors alike.