Is BlackRock Small Cap Growth Equity A (CSGEX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

Any investors hoping to find a Small Cap Growth fund could think about starting with BlackRock Small Cap Growth Equity A (CSGEX). CSGEX holds a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.ObjectiveCSGEX is one of many different Small Cap Growth funds to choose from. Small Cap Growth mutual funds build portfolios around stocks with market caps under $2 billion and large growth opportunities. Additionally, these portfolios typically highlight smaller companies in promising markets and industries.History of Fund/ManagerBlackRock is based in New York, NY, and is the manager of CSGEX. BlackRock Small Cap Growth Equity A made its debut in September of 1993, and since then, CSGEX has accumulated about $176.02 million in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. The fund is currently managed by a team of investment professionals.PerformanceInvestors naturally seek funds with strong performance. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 8.78%, and is in the middle third among its category peers. But if you are looking for a shorter time frame, it is also worth looking at its 3-year annualized total return of 17.29%, 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. Compared to the category average of 12.86%, the standard deviation of CSGEX over the past three years is 21.06%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 22.33% compared to the category average of 13.3%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.Risk FactorsThe fund has a 5-year beta of 1.17, so investors should note that it is hypothetically more volatile than the market at large. Another factor to consider is alpha, as it reflects a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark-in this case, the S&P 500. The fund has produced a negative alpha over the past 5 years of -7.68, which shows that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.HoldingsInvestigating the equity holdings of a mutual fund is also a valuable exercise. This can show us how the manager is applying their stated methodology, as well as if there are any inherent biases in their approach. For this particular fund, the focus is primarily on equities that are traded in the United States.Right now, 82.82% of this mutual fund's holdings are stocks, with an average market capitalization of $5.21 billion.With turnover at about 132%, this fund makes more trades per year than the comparable average.ExpensesAs competition heats up in the mutual fund market, costs become increasingly important. Compared to its otherwise identical counterpart, a low-cost product will be an outperformer, all other things being equal. Thus, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is vital for investors. In terms of fees, CSGEX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.75% compared to the category average of 0.93%. From a cost perspective, CSGEX is actually cheaper than its peers.While the minimum initial investment for the product is $1,000, investors should also note that each subsequent investment needs to be at least $50.Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into consideration. Returns would be less if those were included.Bottom LineOverall, BlackRock Small Cap Growth Equity A ( CSGEX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, worse downside risk, and lower fees, BlackRock Small Cap Growth Equity A ( CSGEX ) looks like a great potential choice for investors right now.Want even more information about CSGEX? Then go over to Zacks.com and check out our mutual fund comparison tool, and all of the other great features that we have to help you with your mutual fund analysis for additional information. 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Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Get Your Free (CSGEX): Fund Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks