Best- and worst-performing sector equity funds

By category, ranked by three-year total returns

Dec 23, 2012 @ 12:01 am (Updated 9:54 pm) EST

Commodities

Top 10Portfolio net assets ($M)1-year return3-year return5-year returnExpense ratio*
Pimco CommodityRealReturn Strategy Fund Institutional$21,837.40.5%8.3%-0.4%0.7%
Harbor Commodity Real Return Strategy Fund Institutional$363.10.4%8.0% N/A0.9%
DWS Enhanced Commodity Strategy Fund A$959.9-4.7%2.7%-5.8%1.5%
Credit Suisse Commodity Return Strategy Fund Institutional$5,643.5-5.9%1.9%-4.7%0.8%
Goldman Sachs Commodity Strategy Fund A$1,294.3-4.9%1.7%-9.0%1.0%
Fidelity Series Commodity Strategy Fund$11,057.2-5.7%1.2% N/A0.6%
Oppenheimer Commodity Strategy Total Return Fund Y$684.5-4.7%1.1%-12.1%1.1%
Fidelity Commodity Strategy Fund$399.0-5.8%1.1% N/A0.6%
Rydex Commodities Strategy Fund A$33.4-4.7%-0.4%-10.4%1.6%
Direxion Monthly Commodity Bull 2x Fund Investor$15.9-16.1%-0.6%-14.1%2.0%

Bottom 3Portfolio net assets ($M)1-year return3-year return5-year returnExpense ratio*
Direxion Indexed Commodity Strategy A$56.7-6.2%-9.8% N/A1.3%
Guggenheim Long/Short Commodities Strategy Fund H$199.8-28.3%-6.0% N/A1.9%
Transamerica Commodity Strategy I2$158.1-7.1%-0.7%-4.8%0.7%
Dow Jones Commodity Total Return -5.2%231.9%-4.8% 

 

Financial services

Top 10Portfolio net assets ($M)1-year return3-year return5-year returnExpense ratio*
Fidelity Select Consumer Finance Portfolio$304.231.2%13.0%-12.2%1.0%
Emerald Banking & Finance Fund A$42.022.7%10.1%-2.4%1.8%
Fidelity Select Insurance Portfolio$261.817.4%9.3%-3.1%0.9%
Legg Mason Investment Counsel Financial Services Fund A$58.322.1%8.7%0.4%1.5%
Fidelity Select Banking Portfolio$502.025.7%7.5%-5.1%0.9%
Alpine Financial Services Fund Institutional$10.022.9%7.3%-0.7%1.5%
John Hancock Regional Bank Fund B$606.824.4%6.4%-2.5%2.1%
John Hancock Financial Industries Fund A$275.530.6%6.3%-4.5%1.4%
Hennessy Small Cap Financial Fund Investor$189.519.4%5.9%4.6%1.6%
T. Rowe Price Financial Services Fund$352.324.8%5.2%-2.5%1.0%

Bottom 5Portfolio net assets ($M)1-year return3-year return5-year returnExpense ratio*
Saratoga Financial Services Portfolio A$1.713.1%-2.4%-11.0%3.4%
Fidelity Select Brokerage & Investment Management Portfolio$398.218.2%-0.3%-4.1%1.5%
Fidelity Advisor Financial Services Fund A$106.120.1%0.2%-9.7%1.3%
Fidelity Select Financial Services Portfolio$420.220.4%0.4%-8.8%0.9%
Icon Financial Fund S$37.117.3%1.3%-12.0%1.4%
Dow Jones U.S. Financials Total Return Index 22.8%5.2%-7.9% 

 

Natural resources

Top 10Portfolio net assets ($M)1-year return3-year return5-year returnExpense ratio*
Integrity Williston Basin/Mid-North America Stock Fund A$512.1-5.4%13.9%6.8%1.4%
Thrivent Natural Resources Fund A$93.8-13.6%8.4%-2.3%1.3%
Huntington Real Strategies Fund Trust$97.0-0.1%6.1%-6.5%1.4%
Fidelity Select Energy Portfolio$2,141.9-2.0%4.8%-3.6%0.8%
Fidelity Advisor Energy Fund T$672.5-2.4%4.4%-4.1%1.4%
Rydex Energy Fund Investor$57.7-3.2%3.6%-2.6%1.4%
Dreyfus Natural Resources Fund A$25.4-2.4%3.4%-4.1%1.8%
Saratoga Energy & Basic Materials Portfolio A$4.5-5.8%2.3%-4.5%3.1%
Icon Energy Fund S$591.3-4.6%2.3%-1.0%1.2%
Rydex Energy Services Fund Investor$59.3-8.0%2.0%-4.8%1.4%

Bottom 5Portfolio net assets ($M)1-year return3-year return5-year returnExpense ratio*
Fidelity Select Natural Gas Portfolio$667.0-2.8%-1.3%-7.3%0.9%
Invesco Energy Fund Investor$1,377.9-7.6%0.4%-3.0%1.1%
Columbia Energy & Natural Resources Fund Z$494.6-3.3%1.3%-3.2%1.1%
Waddell & Reed Advisors Energy Fund A$205.6-5.7%1.7%-3.9%1.6%
Ivy Energy Fund A$110.4-5.6%1.8%-3.7%1.6%
S&P North American Natural Resources Sector Total Return -2.9%4.5%-01.4% 

 

Precious metals

Top 10Portfolio net assets ($M)1-year return3-year return5-year returnExpense ratio*
Dynamic Gold & Precious Metals I$44.0-14.5%10.3% N/A1.3%
Tocqueville Gold Fund$2,511.7-12.2%9.5%7.1%1.3%
Van Eck International Investors Gold Fund A$1,502.2-14.5%5.7%5.5%1.2%
Oppenheimer Gold & Special Minerals Fund A$3,635.4-14.5%5.6%3.2%1.2%
OCM Gold Fund Investor$162.9-14.0%5.5%4.5%1.9%
First Eagle Gold Fund A$3,122.6-12.2%4.9%6.0%1.2%
Gabelli Gold Fund AAA$479.9-11.7%3.9%3.1%1.5%
American Century Global Gold Fund Investor$1,004.1-14.1%3.8%2.4%0.7%
USAA Precious Metals & Minerals Fund Retail$2,110.1-17.4%3.1%4.9%1.2%
U.S. Global Investors Gold & Precious Metals Fund$194.4-11.6%1.8%1.0%1.6%

Bottom 5Portfolio net assets ($M)1-year return3-year return5-year returnExpense ratio*
Midas Fund$55.1-33.1%-7.4%-13.1%2.3%
Vanguard Precious Metals & Mining Fund Investor$3,488.4-23.8%-1.4%-6.6%0.3%
US Global Investors World Precious Minerals Fund$394.2-16.0%-0.6%-4.6%1.7%
Rydex Precious Metals Fund Investor$178.9-12.5%0.6%-1.4%1.3%
DWS Gold & Precious Metals Fund S$391.2-14.4%1.0%-0.9%1.1%
NYSE AmexGold Miners Total Return -16.9%0.9%0.3% 

 

Science and technology

Top 10Portfolio net assets ($M)1-year return3-year return5-year returnExpense ratio*
Saratoga Technology & Communications Portfolio A$58.84.7%16.2%6.0%2.7%
HighMark NYSE Arca Tech 100 Index Fund A$206.210.6%13.5%4.9%1.1%
Fidelity Select IT Services Portfolio$332.115.6%13.5%8.9%0.9%
Fidelity Select Software & Computer Services Portfolio$1,984.411.1%13.1%6.3%0.8%
Buffalo Discovery Fund$451.911.1%12.8%5.0%1.0%
Fidelity Select Technology Portfolio$2,321.85.8%11.4%3.3%0.8%
Fidelity Advisor Technology Fund A$803.25.5%11.0%3.1%1.2%
Fidelity Select Computers Portfolio$778.35.7%11.0%4.3%0.9%
Waddell & Reed Advisors Science & Technology Fund A$2,416.120.4%10.6%4.6%1.4%
Dreyfus Technology Growth Fund A$276.50.8%10.6%3.5%1.4%

Bottom 5Portfolio net assets ($M)1-year return3-year return5-year returnExpense ratio*
Rydex Electronics Fund;Investor$4.1-8.3%-0.1%-6.5%1.4%
Fidelity Advisor Communications Equipment Fund A$10.5-7.8%1.4%-3.1%2.0%
Fidelity Select Communications Equipment Portfolio$251.5-6.4%2.1%-2.0%0.9%
Hennessy Technology Fund Investor$6.40.2%3.5%-1.2%2.0%
Black Oak Emerging Technology Fund$27.3-5.7%3.8%-0.2%1.4%
S&P North American Technology Sector Total Return 7.7%9.1%3.1% 

 

Utilities

Top 10Portfolio net assets ($M)1-year return3-year return5-year returnExpense ratio*
Hennessy Gas Utility Index Fund Investor$707.69.4%16.0%5.6%0.7%
Fidelity Telecom & Utilities Fund$992.011.5%15.0%0.7%0.8%
Prudential Jennison Utility Fund B$2,807.211.6%12.3%-2.7%1.6%
Franklin Utilities Fund A$4,513.98.2%12.2%2.6%0.8%
Fidelity Select Utilities Portfolio$563.37.6%11.6%-0.7%0.9%
Fidelity Advisor Utilities Fund A$188.57.4%11.4%-0.6%1.2%
MFS Utilities Fund A$4,679.910.8%11.0%2.1%1.0%
American Century Utilities Fund Investor$326.66.7%10.4%0.3%0.7%
Wells Fargo Advantage Utility & Telecommunications Fund A$383.910.0%10.3%1.0%1.2%
Rydex Utilities Fund Advisor$39.63.8%9.6%0.3%1.8%

Bottom 5Portfolio net assets ($M)1-year return3-year return5-year returnExpense ratio*
Putnam Global Utilities Fund A$213.53.4%0.7%-6.0%1.3%
Flex-funds Utilities & Infrastructure Fund$33.03.0%7.8%-0.4%1.9%
Icon Utilities Fund S$33.74.6%9.0%-1.1%1.5%
Gabelli Utilities Fund AAA$2,720.54.6%9.0%2.7%1.4%
Invesco Utilities Fund Investor$378.94.7%9.5%-0.5%1.3%
S&P 500 Utilities Total Return 4.4%10.3%0.4% 

Assets as of September 30, 2012; returns as of November 9, 2012. Distinct classes only. Funds closed to new investors have been omitted. Rankings are based on unrounded figures. Three and five-year returns are annualized. In case of multiple share classes, the oldest share class is listed. N/A = not available (fund has been in operation for less than five years). *Net prospectus.

Source: Lipper