Is American Funds SMALLCAP World A (SMCWX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

Global - Equity fund seekers may want to consider taking a look at American Funds SMALLCAP World A (SMCWX). SMCWX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.ObjectiveZacks categorizes SMCWX as Global - Equity, which is a segment packed with options. Global - Equity mutual funds invest in large markets like the U.S., Europe, and Japan, and operate with very few geographical limitations. They also provide an investment technique that leverages the diverse nature of the global economy in the hopes of providing a stable return.History of Fund/ManagerAmerican Funds is based in Los Angeles, CA, and is the manager of SMCWX. American Funds SMALLCAP World A debuted in April of 1990. Since then, SMCWX has accumulated assets of about $24.53 billion, according to the most recently available information. A team of investment professionals is the fund's current manager.PerformanceOf course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 5.4%, and it sits in the bottom third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 11.68%, which places it in the middle third during this time-frame.It is important to note that the product's returns may not reflect all its expenses. Any fees not reflected would lower the returns. Total returns do not reflect the fund's [%] sale charge. If sales charges were included, total returns would have been lower.When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. The standard deviation of SMCWX over the past three years is 15.98% compared to the category average of 12.2%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 18.42% compared to the category average of 13.6%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.Risk FactorsInvestors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 1.04, so it is likely going to be more volatile than the market at large. Because alpha represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which is the S&P 500 in this case, one should pay attention to this metric as well. SMCWX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -10.59, which means managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.ExpensesCosts are increasingly important for mutual fund investing, and particularly as competition heats up in this market. And all things being equal, a lower cost product will outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, so taking a closer look at these metrics is key for investors. In terms of fees, SMCWX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.03% compared to the category average of 0.97%. So, SMCWX is actually more expensive than its peers from a cost perspective.Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $250 and that each subsequent investment needs to be at $50.Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into consideration. Returns would be less if those were included.Bottom LineOverall, even with its comparatively weak performance, average downside risk, and higher fees, American Funds SMALLCAP World A ( SMCWX ) has a neutral Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and therefore looks a somewhat average choice for investors right now.For additional information on this product, or to compare it to other mutual funds in the Global - Equity, make sure to go to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for additional information. 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