Is JPMorgan Small Cap Blend A (VSCOX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

Having trouble finding a Small Cap Growth fund? JPMorgan Small Cap Blend A (VSCOX) is a possible starting point. VSCOX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.ObjectiveVSCOX 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/ManagerVSCOX finds itself in the J.P. Morgan family, based out of Boston, MA. JPMorgan Small Cap Blend A made its debut in May of 1997, and since then, VSCOX has accumulated about $446.88 million in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. The fund's current manager, Eytan Shapiro, has been in charge of the fund since September of 2004.PerformanceOf course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 8.04%, and is in the bottom third among its category peers. If you're interested in shorter time frames, do not dismiss looking at the fund's 3-year annualized total return of 7.51%, 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 15.83%, the standard deviation of VSCOX over the past three years is 19.22%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 19.27% compared to the category average of 15.17%. 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 1.03, which means it is hypothetically as volatile as 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. Over the past 5 years, the fund has a negative alpha of -5.67. This means that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.HoldingsExploring 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.The mutual fund currently has 85.66% of its holdings in stocks, which have an average market capitalization of $4.96 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors:FinanceIndustrial CyclicalTechnologyHealthOtherTurnover is 49%, which means, on average, the fund makes fewer trades than comparable funds.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, VSCOX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.24% compared to the category average of 0.96%. So, VSCOX is actually more expensive than its peers from a cost perspective.Investors need to be aware that with this product, the minimum initial investment is $1,000; 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, even with its comparatively weak performance, average downside risk, and higher fees, JPMorgan Small Cap Blend A ( VSCOX ) has a neutral Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and therefore looks a somewhat average choice for investors right now.Your research on the Small Cap Growth segment doesn't have to stop here. You can check out all the great mutual fund tools we have to offer by going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds to see the additional features we offer as well for additional information. 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Click to get this free report Get Your Free (VSCOX): 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