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Investors often rely on the healthcare sector to safeguarding their investments. This is because healthcare services’ demand does not vary much with market conditions and thus offer sufficient protection to the capital invested.

Many pharmaceutical companies also offer regular dividends. Companies that consistently pay out dividends are financially stable and generate stable cash flows, irrespective of market conditions. Mutual funds are the perfect choices for investors looking to enter this sector since they possess the advantages of wide diversification and analytical insight.

Below we share with you three top-ranked healthcare mutual funds. Each has earned a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and is expected to outperform its peers in the future.

T. Rowe Price Health Sciences Fund (PRHSX - Free Report) is a non-diversified fund that invests more than 80% of its assets in common stocks of companies engaged in various activities in the field of healthcare, medicine or life sciences. The fund mostly invests in mid- and large-capitalization companies. PRHSX has three-year annualized returns of 20%.

Ziad Bakri is the fund manager of PRHSX since 2016.

Fidelity Select Health Care Portfolio (FSPHX - Free Report) is a non-diversified fund that aims for capital appreciation. The fund invests the majority of assets in common stocks of companies engaged in designing, manufacturing or sale of products or services related to healthcare or medicine. FSPHX has three-year annualized returns of 18.9%.

As of the end of May 2021, FSPHX held 120 issues with 9.6% of its assets invested in UnitedHealth Group Inc.

Fidelity Select Medical Technology and Devices Portfolio (FSMEX - Free Report) fund aims for capital growth. It invests the majority of assets in companies that are engaged in activities such as research, manufacturing, supply and sale of medical equipment and related technologies. The non-diversified fund invests in common stocks and in U.S. and non-U.S. issuers. FSMEX has three-year annualized returns of 23.7%.

FSMEX has an expense ratio of 0.70% compared with the category average of 1.03%.