FSENX vs QMLAX Fund Comparison

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

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Minafi's Take on FSENX vs QMLAX

Here's an in depth look at the differences between Fidelity® Select Energy Portfolio($FSENX) and Quantified Market Leaders Fund Advisor Class($QMLAX).

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.

  • fsenx
  • Mutual Fund
  • Sector Equity
  • Energy

Fidelity® Select Energy Portfolio

Expenses: 0.80% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is an OK choice for a Energy Sector Equity fund. See why »

  • qmlax
  • Mutual Fund
  • US Stocks
  • Mid-Cap Growth

Quantified Market Leaders Fund Advisor Class

Expenses: 2.02% (Better than 0% of similar funds)

This is a bad choice for a Mid-Cap Growth US Stocks fund. See why »

Both $FSENX and $QMLAX 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.

FSENXQMLAX
Market Score 8.9 /10 2.6 /10
Category Score 0.0 /10 5.0 /10
Total8.97.6

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: $FSENX

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, FSENX has an expense ratio of 0.80% while QMLAX has an expense ratio of 2.02%.

Winner: $FSENX

Fund Size Comparison

One place these two funds differ is in their total assets under management. This 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.

In the case of these two funds, FSENX is a large fund with 735 Million in assets under management. QMLAX, on the other hand, is a small fund with 150 Million in assets under management.

Winner: $FSENX, Fidelity® Select Energy Portfolio

Which Should You Choose? FSENX or QMLAX?

Comparing these two funds isn't an apples to apples comparison. FSENX is a Sector EquityEnergy fund, while QMLAX is a US StocksMid-Cap Growth 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 FSENX a score of 52 and QMLAX a score of 17.

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

$FSENX

Fidelity® Select Energy Portfolio

52

Read More
Ratings
Rating TypeRating
Expense Ratio Score6/10
Expense Rating2/10
Market Score9/10
Category Score0/10
Overview
OverviewDetails
Fund TypeMutual Fund
Inception DateJul-14-1981
ExchangeNMFQS
Expense Ratio0.800%
Net Assets735 Million
Yield3.25%
Holdings
DescriptionInfo
MarketSector Equity
CategoryEnergy
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 0.00%
  • Communication Services 0.00%
  • Consumer Cyclical 0.00%
  • Consumer Defensive 0.00%
  • Energy 97.12%
  • Financial Services 0.00%
  • Healthcare 0.00%
  • Industrials 0.00%
  • Real Estate 0.00%
  • Technology 0.00%
  • Utilities 2.88%
Regions
  • Africa/Middle East 0.07%
  • Europe Developed 1.24%
  • Europe Emerging 0.97%
  • North America 92.13%
  • United Kingdom 5.59%

$QMLAX

Quantified Market Leaders Fund Advisor Class

17

Read More
Ratings
Rating TypeRating
Expense Ratio Score1/10
Expense Rating0/10
Market Score3/10
Category Score5/10
Overview
OverviewDetails
Fund TypeMutual Fund
Inception DateAug-9-2013
ExchangeNMFQS
Expense Ratio2.020%
Net Assets150 Million
Yield0.00%
Holdings
DescriptionInfo
MarketUS Stocks
CategoryMid-Cap Growth
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 3.30%
  • Communication Services 10.61%
  • Consumer Cyclical 13.16%
  • Consumer Defensive 6.45%
  • Energy 2.34%
  • Financial Services 11.90%
  • Healthcare 12.04%
  • Industrials 9.99%
  • Real Estate 3.08%
  • Technology 26.01%
  • Utilities 1.12%
Regions
  • Africa/Middle East 2.34%
  • Asia Developed 7.82%
  • Asia Emerging 15.95%
  • Australasia 0.62%
  • Europe Developed 4.68%
  • Europe Emerging 1.40%
  • Japan 2.64%
  • Latin America 2.34%
  • North America 60.69%
  • United Kingdom 1.51%

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