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Is Ivy Science & Technology Y (WSTYX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?
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Having trouble finding a Sector - Tech fund? Ivy Science & Technology Y (WSTYX - Free Report) is a potential starting point. WSTYX holds a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.
Objective
WSTYX is part of the Sector - Tech category, which boasts an array of different possible selections. With a much more diversified approach, Sector - Tech mutual funds give investors a way to own a stake in a notoriously risky sector. Tech companies are in various industries like semiconductors, software, internet, and networking, among others.
History of Fund/Manager
WSTYX is a part of the Ivy Funds family of funds, a company based out of Boca Raton, FL. Ivy Science & Technology Y debuted in June of 1998. Since then, WSTYX has accumulated assets of about $566 million, according to the most recently available information. The fund is currently managed by Zachary H. Shafran who has been in charge of the fund since February of 2001.
Performance
Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 9.4%, and it sits in the middle third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 18.27%, 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. WSTYX's standard deviation over the past three years is 16.83% compared to the category average of 9.74%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 16.74% compared to the category average of 10.11%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.
Risk Factors
It's always important to be aware of the downsides to any future investment, so one should not discount the risks that come with this segment. In the most recent bear market, WSTYX lost 35.47% and outperformed its peer group by 17.86%. This could mean that the fund is a better choice than comparable funds during a bear market.
Nevertheless, investors should also note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 1.27, which means it is hypothetically more 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. WSTYX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -1.98, which means managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.
Expenses
For investors, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is key, since costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing. Competition is heating up in this space, and a lower cost product will likely outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, all things being equal. In terms of fees, WSTYX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.20% compared to the category average of 1.31%. WSTYX 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 $0 and that each subsequent investment has no minimum amount.
Bottom Line
Overall, Ivy Science & Technology Y ( WSTYX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, similar performance, worse downside risk, and lower fees compared to its peers.
Want even more information about WSTYX? 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. 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 Ivy Science & Technology Y (WSTYX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?
Having trouble finding a Sector - Tech fund? Ivy Science & Technology Y (WSTYX - Free Report) is a potential starting point. WSTYX holds a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.
Objective
WSTYX is part of the Sector - Tech category, which boasts an array of different possible selections. With a much more diversified approach, Sector - Tech mutual funds give investors a way to own a stake in a notoriously risky sector. Tech companies are in various industries like semiconductors, software, internet, and networking, among others.
History of Fund/Manager
WSTYX is a part of the Ivy Funds family of funds, a company based out of Boca Raton, FL. Ivy Science & Technology Y debuted in June of 1998. Since then, WSTYX has accumulated assets of about $566 million, according to the most recently available information. The fund is currently managed by Zachary H. Shafran who has been in charge of the fund since February of 2001.
Performance
Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 9.4%, and it sits in the middle third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 18.27%, 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. WSTYX's standard deviation over the past three years is 16.83% compared to the category average of 9.74%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 16.74% compared to the category average of 10.11%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.
Risk Factors
It's always important to be aware of the downsides to any future investment, so one should not discount the risks that come with this segment. In the most recent bear market, WSTYX lost 35.47% and outperformed its peer group by 17.86%. This could mean that the fund is a better choice than comparable funds during a bear market.
Nevertheless, investors should also note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 1.27, which means it is hypothetically more 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. WSTYX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -1.98, which means managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.
Expenses
For investors, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is key, since costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing. Competition is heating up in this space, and a lower cost product will likely outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, all things being equal. In terms of fees, WSTYX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.20% compared to the category average of 1.31%. WSTYX 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 $0 and that each subsequent investment has no minimum amount.
Bottom Line
Overall, Ivy Science & Technology Y ( WSTYX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, similar performance, worse downside risk, and lower fees compared to its peers.
Want even more information about WSTYX? 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. 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.