Is BlackRock Science & Technology Opportunities A (BGSAX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

If you have been looking for Sector - Tech fund category, a potential starting could be BlackRock Science & Technology Opportunities A (BGSAX). BGSAX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.ObjectiveBGSAX 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/ManagerBGSAX finds itself in the BlackRock family, based out of New York, NY. BlackRock Science & Technology Opportunities A made its debut in May of 2000, and since then, BGSAX has accumulated about $2.18 billion in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. The fund's current manager, Tony Kim, has been in charge of the fund since June of 2013.PerformanceOf course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 18.12%, and is 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 4.54%, which places it in the middle 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, BGSAX's standard deviation comes in at 25.83%, compared to the category average of 16.21%. The fund's standard deviation over the past 5 years is 25.29% compared to the category average of 16.98%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.Risk FactorsThe fund has a 5-year beta of 1.17, so investors should note that 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. BGSAX has generated a positive alpha over the past five years of 2.49, demonstrating that managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.ExpensesCosts 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, BGSAX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.17% compared to the category average of 1%. So, BGSAX is actually more expensive than its peers from a cost perspective.Investors need to be aware that with this product, the minimum initial investment is $1,000; each subsequent investment needs to be at least $50.Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included.Bottom LineOverall, even with its comparatively similar performance, worse downside risk, and higher fees, BlackRock Science & Technology Opportunities A ( BGSAX ) has a neutral Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and therefore looks a somewhat average choice for investors right now.This could just be the start of your research on BGSAXin the Sector - Tech category. Consider going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for additional information about this fund, and all the others that we rank as well 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.Research Chief Names "Single Best Pick to Double"From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.This company targets millennial and Gen Z audiences, generating nearly $1 billion in revenue last quarter alone. A recent pullback makes now an ideal time to jump aboard. 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