ALTEX vs MIXAX Fund Comparison

A comparison between ALTEX and MIXAX based on their expense ratio, growth, holdings and how well they match their benchmark performance.

Group Created with Sketch.

Minafi's Take on ALTEX vs MIXAX

Here's an in depth look at the differences between Firsthand Alternative Energy Fund ($ALTEX) and MainStay Short Term Bond Fund Class A ($MIXAX).

To start off, here's a look at the basics of each fund. Keep an eye on the FI Score. That's a custom score from 0 to 100 that we generate based on how good this fund is for the casual investor. Most investors only need a handful of total funds in their portfolio. The higher the score, the more likely this is one of those few. Score alone isn't enough! Keep reading on to see how different (or perhaps similar) these two funds are.

  • altex
  • Mutual Fund
  • Sector Equity
  • Technology

Firsthand Alternative Energy Fund

Expenses: 1.98% (Better than 0% of similar funds)

This is a bad choice for a Technology Sector Equity fund. See why »

41% FI Score
  • mixax
  • Mutual Fund
  • Bond
  • High Yield Bond

MainStay Short Term Bond Fund Class A

Expenses: 0.60% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is a bad choice for a High Yield Bond Bond fund. See why »

Both $ALTEX and $MIXAX are categorized as Mutual Funds. Mutual funds are often offered by 401(k) platforms and are essentially the same as ETFs. Mutual funds are generally offered by an investment platform – Fidelity has Fidelity mutual funds, Vanguard has Vanguard mutual funds. Mutual funds are ideal for retirement investing since you can invest any amount. That allows you to invest every last cent and benefit from the market.

The biggest disadvantage of mutual funds is that you're usually limited to the funds on your investment platform. If you're investing on Fidelity, you'll want to pick Fidelity mutual funds (or any ETF). Same with Vanguard. Some platforms offer mutual funds from other platforms, but they may charge a purchse or redemption fee. I'd recommend using the same platform as your funds – or stick to ETFs.

To learn more about the difference between these two, you can read about the difference between ETFs and Mutual Funds.

When evaluating a fund, the first things I look at are:

  • What it invests in
  • How much it charges in fees
  • How large the fund is

Let's look into these criteria one by one and see if either of these funds stands out.

Fund Holdings Comparison

Minafi's FI Score algorithm takes into account the category and market. The more niche a fund is, the lower the score. This doesn't mean it's a worse fund, but it does mean you should stop and make sure this a fund you need to diversify your portfolio.

ALTEX MIXAX
Market Score 0.3 /10 3.1 /10
Category Score 0.0 /10 0.0 /10
Total 0.3 3.1

A score of 10 means this is a solid market and category that almost every investor will want to have investments in. The lower the score, the more specific the investment. These scores are based on when most investors would add these funds to their portfolio. A score of 10 means that this fund (or one like it) belongs in a three-fund portfolio. The lower the score, the farther down in your portfolio a fund would go.

Winner: $MIXAX

Fee Comparison

Fees are one of the biggest killers of portfolio growth. The difference between a 2% fee and a 0.04% fee over 30 years can result in your portfolio having half the total value!

If you're just getting started investing and learning how fees impact your portfolio, I'd encourage you to read through my free investment course (specifically '2.2 - All About Fees') where I go over all the different types of fees you can be charged and how to lower them.

For these two funds, ALTEX has an expense ratio of 1.98% while MIXAX has an expense ratio of 0.60%.

Winner: $MIXAX

Fund Size Comparison

Both ALTEX and MIXAX have a similar number of assets under management. ALTEX has 5.59 Million in assets under management, while MIXAX has 129 Million.

Minafi categorizes both of these funds as small funds. Fund size is a good indication of how many other investors trust this fund. A large fund by itself doesn't mean it's a good fund, but it is one thing to consider when figuring out how to choose the right fund.

Winner: tie

Which Should You Choose? ALTEX or MIXAX?

Comparing these two funds isn't an apples to apples comparison. ALTEX is a Sector Equity Technology fund, while MIXAX is a Bond High Yield Bond fund.

If you're aiming to build a diversified, low-fee, tax-optimized portfolio you likely won't be choosing between these two funds since they're different enough.

Running both of these funds through Minafi's FI Score algorithm, gives ALTEX a score of 3 and MIXAX a score of 41.

Winner: Neither, I'd research more funds if you're looking to invest for retirement.

$ALTEX

Firsthand Alternative Energy Fund

3

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Expense Ratio Score 1 /10
Expense Rating 0 /10
Market Score 0 /10
Category Score 0 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type Mutual Fund
Inception Date Oct-29-2007
Exchange NMFQS
Expense Ratio 1.980%
Net Assets 5.59 Million
Yield 0.00%
Holdings
Description Info
Market Sector Equity
Category Technology
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 3.58%
  • Communication Services 0.00%
  • Consumer Cyclical 0.01%
  • Consumer Defensive 0.00%
  • Energy 0.00%
  • Financial Services 0.00%
  • Healthcare 8.25%
  • Industrials 26.06%
  • Real Estate 0.00%
  • Technology 56.87%
  • Utilities 5.23%
Regions
  • Asia Developed 0.21%
  • Europe Developed 21.04%
  • Japan 1.73%
  • North America 71.55%
  • United Kingdom 5.48%

$MIXAX

MainStay Short Term Bond Fund Class A

41

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Expense Ratio Score 8 /10
Expense Rating 4 /10
Market Score 3 /10
Category Score 0 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type Mutual Fund
Inception Date Jan-2-1991
Exchange NMFQS
Expense Ratio 0.600%
Net Assets 129 Million
Yield 2.12%
Holdings
Description Info
Market Bond
Category High Yield Bond
Sectors
  • Agency MBS ARM 0.00%
  • Agency MBS CMO 0.92%
  • Agency MBS Pass-Through 0.00%
  • Asset-Backed 12.02%
  • Bank Loan 0.00%
  • Cash & Equivalents 4.71%
  • Commercial MBS 2.54%
  • Convertible 2.80%
  • Corporate 49.25%
  • Corporate Bond 46.45%
  • Covered Bond 0.00%
  • Government 24.92%
  • Municipal 0.00%
  • Non-Agency Residential MBS 5.65%
  • Non-U.S. Government 0.00%
  • Other 0.00%
  • Other Government Related 15.42%
  • Preferred 0.00%
  • Securitized 21.12%
  • U.S. Agency 3.96%
  • U.S. Treasury 5.55%
  • U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected 0.00%

Adam says: Learn how to confidently invest for retirement!

Join the Minafi Investor Bootcamp to see how.

This 10-course bootcamp starts at only $10 for everything!

Minafi - The intersection of FI, minimalism & mindfulness.

Don't miss out on new posts, courses, interactive articles and more!

Join & Get Your First Course Free

© 2024   Adam Fortuna

Site Map
Triangle Graduation Cap Angle Down Book regular Phone laptop regular fire regular fire regular search regular Acorn duotone Seedling duotone thumbs down duo