Top 5 Best Performing Healthcare Mutual Funds Year to Date - Best Performing Funds Year To Date
May 02 2012 - 7:23AM
Zacks
When markets are passing through choppy waters, investors often
rely on the healthcare sector to safeguard their investments. This
is because the demand for healthcare services does not vary with
market conditions, making them a safe haven during difficult times.
Many pharma companies also generate regular dividends, which go a
long way in softening the blow dealt by plummeting share prices.
Mutual funds are the perfect choice for investors looking to enter
this sector since they possess the advantages of wide
diversification and analytical insight.
Below we will share with you the 5 best performing healthcare
mutual funds year to date. To view the Zacks Rank and past
performance of all healthcare funds, investors can click here to
see the complete list of funds.
Mutual Fund
|
Zacks Rank
|
Total Return YTD
|
ProFunds Biotech Ultra Sector
|
#4 Sell
|
26.4%
|
Rydex Biotechnology
|
#4 Sell
|
21.7%
|
Fidelity Select Biotechnology
|
#4 Sell
|
19.9%
|
Delaware Healthcare A
|
#3 Hold
|
18.6%
|
T. Rowe Price Health Sciences
|
#2 Buy
|
17.9%
|
ProFunds Biotechnology UltraSector (BIPSX)
invests in equity securities and derivatives that in the opinion of
the fund advisors possess daily return characteristics identical to
one and a half times the daily return of the Dow Jones U.S.
Biotechnology Index. The healthcare mutual fund is non-diversified
and returned 26.63% over the last one year period.
Hratch Najarian is the fund manager and has managed this
healthcare mutual fund since 2011.
Rydex Biotechnology (RYOIX) seeks capital growth. The
fund invests a large share of its assets in equity securities and
derivatives issued by domestic biotechnology companies. The fund is
non-diversified and seeks long-term capital growth. The healthcare
mutual fund returned 26.54% over the last one year period.
The healthcare mutual fund has a minimum initial investment of
$2,500 and an expense ratio of 1.39% compared to a category average
of 1.57%.
Fidelity Select Biotechnology (FBIOX) invests the
majority of its assets in companies seeking to benefit from
advances in the biotechnological sector. It focuses on acquiring
common stocks and may also purchases securities issued by foreign
companies. The healthcare mutual fund returned 31.78% over the last
one year period.
As of March 2012, this healthcare mutual fund held 147 issues,
with 9.42% of its total assets invested in Gilead Sciences Inc.
Delaware Healthcare A (DLHAX) seeks capital growth. The
fund invests the majority of its assets in the healthcare sector.
The fund purchases equity of both domestic and foreign companies
regardless of their size. It may also invest in emerging market
stocks. The healthcare mutual fund returned 11.69% over the last
one year period.
Liu-Er Chen is the fund manager and has managed this healthcare
mutual fund since 2007.
T. Rowe Price Health Sciences (PRHSX) invests the
majority of its assets in common stocks of companies whose primary
operations are related to healthcare products medicine or life
sciences. The fund focuses on investing in large and mid-cap firms
but may also purchase stock of smaller companies. The healthcare
mutual fund returned 16.43% over the last one year period.
The healthcare mutual fund has a minimum initial investment of
$2,500 and an expense ratio of 0.82% compared to a category average
of 1.57%.
To view the Zacks Rank and past performance of all healthcare
mutual funds, investors can click here to see the complete list of
funds.
About Zacks Mutual Fund Rank
By applying the Zacks Rank to mutual funds, investors can find
funds that not only outpaced the market in the past but are also
expected to outperform going forward. Learn more about the Zacks
Mutual Fund Rank at http://www.zacks.com/funds.
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