Blackrock, founded in New York in the year 1988, is one of the leading investment, advisory, and risk-management solutions providers. Its assets under management span various asset classes like equity, fixed income, cash management, alternative investment and real estate.

The company manages assets for clients in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and Africa. Its clients include corporate, public, and pension plans for unions and industry; governments, insurance companies, third-party mutual funds, endowments, foundations, charities, corporations, official institutions, sovereign wealth funds, banks, financial professionals, and individuals worldwide. It has more than 19,000 employees in more than 36 countries.

BlackRock was founded as a stand-alone investment management company and focuses on providing asset and risk management services to clients. As of Jun 30, 2023, the company manages $9.4 trillion in assets under management and is the world’s largest asset manager.

Investors are facing challenges as the inflation rate spiked after a gradual decline till January 2024. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) which is most accepted gauge for retail inflation rose 0.3% in January against Wall Street’s expectations of 0.2%. The expectation of an early interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve seems unlikely. By maintaining high interest rates for longer, the Fed wants to slow down the overall economy. High borrowing rates impact corporate performance, which will impact stock prices, making it risky for investors.

Blackrock mutual funds can be a preferred choice for investors who wish to diversify their portfolio but lack the necessary expertise to manage their own funds amid such volatile market conditions. The fund house has a reputation as a trusted partner and has long-term financial success.

We have thus selected three Blackrock mutual funds that have not only preserved investors’ wealth but also generated excellent returns in the past. These funds have the majority of their investments in sectors such as technology, finance, retail and energy, which are expected to perform well in the long term.

These funds boast a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), have positive three-year and five-year annualized returns, minimum initial investments within $5000, and carry an expense ratio of 1% or less. Notably, mutual funds, in general, reduce transaction costs and diversify portfolios without an array of commission charges mostly associated with stock purchases (read more: Mutual Funds: Advantages, Disadvantages, and How They Make Investors Money).

BlackRock Large Cap Focus Value Fund (MDBAX Quick QuoteMDBAX - Free Report) seeks capital appreciation along with current income by investing most of its assets along with borrowings, if any, in large-cap equity securities and derivatives that have similar economic characteristics to such securities. MDBAX advisors primarily choose to invest in equity securities of undervalued companies.

Tony DeSpirito has been the lead manager of MDBAX since Nov 14, 2019. Most of the fund’s exposure is in companies like Wells Fargo (3.3%), Cognizant Tech Solutions (3.0%) and Citi Group (2.9%) as of Jun 30, 2023.

MDBAX’s three-year and five-year annualized returns are almost 10.8% and 9.9%, respectively. MDBAX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 andan annual expense ratio of 0.83%.

To see how this fund performed compared to its category and other 1, 2, and 3 Ranked Mutual Funds, please click here.

BlackRock Advantage Large Cap Core Fund (MDLRX Quick QuoteMDLRX - Free Report) invests most of its assets along with borrowings, if any, in large-cap equity securities and derivatives that have similar economic characteristics. MDLRX advisors generally invest in common stocks, preferred stocks and convertible securities with characteristics similar to the stock listed on the Russell 1000 Index.

Raffaele Savi has been the lead manager of MDLRX since Jun 11, 2017. Most of the fund’s exposure is in companies like Microsoft (7.9%), Apple (7%), and Amazon.com (4.3%) as of Nov 30, 2023.

MDLRX’s three-year and five-year annualized returns are almost 9.5% and 13.0%, respectively. MDLRX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 andan annual expense ratio of 0.73%.

BlackRock Mid-Cap Value Investor (MDRFX Quick QuoteMDRFX - Free Report) fund invests most of its assets, along with borrowings, if any, in a diversified portfolio of equity securities of mid-cap companies. MDRFX advisors prefer to invest in dividend-paying securities.

Antonio DeSpirito has been the lead manager of MDRFX since Jun 11, 2017. Most of the fund’s exposure is in companies like Leidos (2.9%), L3harris Technologies (2.2%) and First Citizens Bancshares (2.1%) as of Oct 31, 2023.

MDRFX’s three-year and five-year annualized returns are almost 10.0% and 11.0%, respectively. MDRFX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #2 and an annual expense ratio of 0.99%.

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