Is Fidelity Select Energy Portfolio (FSENX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

Sector - Energy fund seekers should consider taking a look at Fidelity Select Energy Portfolio (FSENX). FSENX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.ObjectiveWe classify FSENX in the Sector - Energy category, an area that is rife with possible choices. Throughout the massive global energy sector, Sector - Energy mutual funds hold a wide range of quickly changing and vitally important industries. While oil and gas comprise the bulk of the exposure, carbon-based fuels will be the biggest group of assets in these funds, though clean energy is starting to pick up steam.History of Fund/ManagerFidelity is based in Boston, MA, and is the manager of FSENX. Fidelity Select Energy Portfolio debuted in July of 1981. Since then, FSENX has accumulated assets of about $2 billion, according to the most recently available information. The fund is currently managed by Maurice FitzMaurice who has been in charge of the fund since January of 2020.PerformanceOf course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 14.7%, and is in the top third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 19.02%, which places it in the top 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. FSENX's standard deviation over the past three years is 28.16% compared to the category average of 26.16%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 36.9% compared to the category average of 35.12%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.Risk FactorsInvestors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 1.18, so it is likely going to be more volatile than the market at large. Another factor to consider is alpha, as it reflects a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark-in this case, the S&P 500. FSENX's 5-year performance has produced a positive alpha of 2.35, which means managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.ExpensesFor 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, FSENX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.66% compared to the category average of 1.18%. FSENX is actually cheaper than its peers when you consider factors like cost.Investors need to be aware that with this product, the minimum initial investment is $0; each subsequent investment has no minimum amount.Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included.Bottom LineOverall, Fidelity Select Energy Portfolio ( FSENX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, this fund looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.For additional information on this product, or to compare it to other mutual funds in the Sector - Energy, make sure to go to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for additional information. And don't forget, Zacks has all of your needs covered on the equity side too! Make sure to check out Zacks.com for more information on our screening capabilities, Rank, and all our articles as well.Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. 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