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There are plenty of choices in the Muni - Bonds category, but where should you start your research? Well, one fund that you should consider investigating is AI Kansas Tax-Exempt Bond I (SEKSX - Free Report) . SEKSX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.
Objective
SEKSX is one of many Muni - Bonds funds to choose from. Muni - Bonds funds invest in debt securities issued by states and local municipalities, which are typically used to pay for infrastructure construction, schools, and other government functions. These securities can be backed by taxes (revenue bonds), but others are known as " general obligation " and are not necessarily backed by a defined source. These bonds are especially attractive because of their inherent tax benefits.
History of Fund/Manager
AIF is based in New York, NY, and is the manager of SEKSX. AI Kansas Tax-Exempt Bond I made its debut in December of 1990, and since then, SEKSX has accumulated about $117.80 million in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. Neil Klein is the fund's current manager and has held that role since December of 2016.
Performance
Investors naturally seek funds with strong performance. SEKSX has a 5-year annualized total return of 0.27% and it sits in the middle 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 -1.32%, which places it in the bottom 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. Over the past three years, SEKSX's standard deviation comes in at 7.45%, compared to the category average of 10.43%. Looking at the past 5 years, the fund's standard deviation is 6.22% compared to the category average of 10.44%. This makes the fund less volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.
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, SEKSX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.48% compared to the category average of 0.85%. SEKSX is actually cheaper than its peers when you consider factors like cost.
Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $3 million and that each subsequent investment needs to be at $5,000
Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included.
Bottom Line
Overall, AI Kansas Tax-Exempt Bond I ( SEKSX ) has a neutral Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, AI Kansas Tax-Exempt Bond I ( SEKSX ) looks like a somewhat average choice for investors right now.
Don't stop here for your research on Muni - Bonds 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 SEKSX to its peers 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.
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Is SEKSX a Strong Bond Fund Right Now?
There are plenty of choices in the Muni - Bonds category, but where should you start your research? Well, one fund that you should consider investigating is AI Kansas Tax-Exempt Bond I (SEKSX - Free Report) . SEKSX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.
Objective
SEKSX is one of many Muni - Bonds funds to choose from. Muni - Bonds funds invest in debt securities issued by states and local municipalities, which are typically used to pay for infrastructure construction, schools, and other government functions. These securities can be backed by taxes (revenue bonds), but others are known as " general obligation " and are not necessarily backed by a defined source. These bonds are especially attractive because of their inherent tax benefits.
History of Fund/Manager
AIF is based in New York, NY, and is the manager of SEKSX. AI Kansas Tax-Exempt Bond I made its debut in December of 1990, and since then, SEKSX has accumulated about $117.80 million in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. Neil Klein is the fund's current manager and has held that role since December of 2016.
Performance
Investors naturally seek funds with strong performance. SEKSX has a 5-year annualized total return of 0.27% and it sits in the middle 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 -1.32%, which places it in the bottom 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. Over the past three years, SEKSX's standard deviation comes in at 7.45%, compared to the category average of 10.43%. Looking at the past 5 years, the fund's standard deviation is 6.22% compared to the category average of 10.44%. This makes the fund less volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.
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, SEKSX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.48% compared to the category average of 0.85%. SEKSX is actually cheaper than its peers when you consider factors like cost.
Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $3 million and that each subsequent investment needs to be at $5,000
Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included.
Bottom Line
Overall, AI Kansas Tax-Exempt Bond I ( SEKSX ) has a neutral Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, AI Kansas Tax-Exempt Bond I ( SEKSX ) looks like a somewhat average choice for investors right now.
Don't stop here for your research on Muni - Bonds 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 SEKSX to its peers 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.