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Is Fidelity Japan Smaller Companies (FJSCX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?
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There are plenty of choices in the Japan - Equity category, but where should you start your research? Well, one fund that you should consider investigating is Fidelity Japan Smaller Companies (FJSCX - Free Report) . FJSCX possesses a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.
Objective
We note that FJSCX is a Japan - Equity option, an area loaded with different choices. Japan - Equity mutual funds primarily invest in companies in one of the world's richest and most diversified economies, Japan. While the country remains partially exposed to global economic trends due to its export focus, its lack of natural resources can also impact the nation.
History of Fund/Manager
FJSCX is a part of the Fidelity family of funds, a company based out of Boston, MA. Fidelity Japan Smaller Companies made its debut in November of 1995, and since then, FJSCX has accumulated about $458.20 million in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. The fund's current manager, Masaki Nakamura, has been in charge of the fund since February of 2022.
Performance
Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 10.37%, 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 20.62%, 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, FJSCX's standard deviation comes in at 15.39%, compared to the category average of 14.54%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 16.14% compared to the category average of 15.99%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.
Risk Factors
Investors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 0.7, so it is likely going to be less volatile than the market at large. Because alpha represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which is the S&P 500 in this case, one should pay attention to this metric as well. FJSCX's 5-year performance has produced a positive alpha of 0.62, which means managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.
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, FJSCX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.85% compared to the category average of 0.93%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, FJSCX is actually cheaper than its peers.
Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $0 and that each subsequent investment has no minimum amount.
Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into consideration. Returns would be less if those were included.
Bottom Line
Overall, Fidelity Japan Smaller Companies ( FJSCX ) has a neutral Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, Fidelity Japan Smaller Companies ( FJSCX ) looks like a somewhat average choice for investors right now.
Want even more information about FJSCX? Then go over to Zacks.com and check out our mutual fund comparison tool, and all of the other great features that we have to help you with your mutual fund analysis 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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Is Fidelity Japan Smaller Companies (FJSCX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?
There are plenty of choices in the Japan - Equity category, but where should you start your research? Well, one fund that you should consider investigating is Fidelity Japan Smaller Companies (FJSCX - Free Report) . FJSCX possesses a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.
Objective
We note that FJSCX is a Japan - Equity option, an area loaded with different choices. Japan - Equity mutual funds primarily invest in companies in one of the world's richest and most diversified economies, Japan. While the country remains partially exposed to global economic trends due to its export focus, its lack of natural resources can also impact the nation.
History of Fund/Manager
FJSCX is a part of the Fidelity family of funds, a company based out of Boston, MA. Fidelity Japan Smaller Companies made its debut in November of 1995, and since then, FJSCX has accumulated about $458.20 million in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. The fund's current manager, Masaki Nakamura, has been in charge of the fund since February of 2022.
Performance
Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 10.37%, 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 20.62%, 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, FJSCX's standard deviation comes in at 15.39%, compared to the category average of 14.54%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 16.14% compared to the category average of 15.99%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.
Risk Factors
Investors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 0.7, so it is likely going to be less volatile than the market at large. Because alpha represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which is the S&P 500 in this case, one should pay attention to this metric as well. FJSCX's 5-year performance has produced a positive alpha of 0.62, which means managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.
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, FJSCX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.85% compared to the category average of 0.93%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, FJSCX is actually cheaper than its peers.
Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $0 and that each subsequent investment has no minimum amount.
Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into consideration. Returns would be less if those were included.
Bottom Line
Overall, Fidelity Japan Smaller Companies ( FJSCX ) has a neutral Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, Fidelity Japan Smaller Companies ( FJSCX ) looks like a somewhat average choice for investors right now.
Want even more information about FJSCX? Then go over to Zacks.com and check out our mutual fund comparison tool, and all of the other great features that we have to help you with your mutual fund analysis 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.