Are health care mutual funds a good investment?

These five health care mutual funds offer up a one-two punch of both defensive properties and an ability to run with the bulls. It's difficult to get the best of both worlds in mutual funds. Some products might be great for opportunistically chasing growth but just as quickly peel back when investors go risk-off, for instance.

What are the top health care fund holdings?

Top holdings are heavy in large caps: UnitedHealth, Intuitive Surgical ( ISRG) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals ( VRTX) represent some of the health care fund's biggest weights. PRHSX is a well-above-average fund in most short-term time periods, but it has really shone in the long term.

Is the Vanguard Health Care Fund a good investment?

The Vanguard Health Care Fund falls within Morningstar’s health category. Funds in this category invest in stocks in the health and medical fields. This includes pharmaceutical companies, HMOs and medical device makers, among a host of others. Morningstar says the fund is a "proven, less risky approach in an increasingly volatile sector.”