Is Janus Henderson Venture D (JANVX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

If you've been stuck searching for Small Cap Growth funds, consider Janus Henderson Venture D (JANVX) as a possibility. JANVX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.ObjectiveJANVX is part of the Small Cap Growth category, and this segment boasts an array of many other possible options. Small Cap Growth mutual funds usually focus their portfolios on stocks with large growth opportunities and a market cap of under $2 billion. These portfolios tend to feature small companies in up-and-coming industries and markets.History of Fund/ManagerJANVX is a part of the Janus Fund family of funds, a company based out of Boston, MA. Janus Henderson Venture D made its debut in April of 1985, and since then, JANVX has accumulated about $1.70 billion in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. A team of investment professionals is the fund's current manager.PerformanceObviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 7.94%, and it sits 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 11.11%, 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 15.01%, the standard deviation of JANVX over the past three years is 20.27%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 19.96% compared to the category average of 14.56%. 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, which means it is hypothetically 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. JANVX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -7.49, which means managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.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, JANVX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.79% compared to the category average of 0.98%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, JANVX is actually cheaper than its peers.Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $2,500 and that each subsequent investment needs to be at $50Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included.Bottom LineOverall, Janus Henderson Venture D ( JANVX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, worse downside risk, and lower fees, Janus Henderson Venture D ( JANVX ) looks like a great potential choice for investors right now.Don't stop here for your research on Small Cap Growth funds. We also have plenty more on our site in order to help you find the best possible fund for your portfolio. Make sure to check out www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for more information about the world of funds, and feel free to compare JANVX to its peers as well for additional information. 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Click to get this free report Get Your Free (JANVX): 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