Is TETON Westwood Small Cap Equity A (WWSAX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

On the lookout for a Small Cap Blend fund? Starting with TETON Westwood Small Cap Equity A (WWSAX) should not be a possibility at this time. WWSAX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 5 (Strong Sell), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.ObjectiveWe classify WWSAX in the Small Cap Blend category, an area rife with potential choices. Small Cap Blend mutual funds usually target companies with a market capitalization of less than $2 billion. A small-cap blend mutual fund allows investors to diversify their funds among various types of small-cap stocks, which can help reduce the volatility inherent in lower market cap companies.History of Fund/ManagerTETON is responsible for WWSAX, and the company is based out of Rye, NY. TETON Westwood Small Cap Equity A debuted in November of 2006. Since then, WWSAX has accumulated assets of about $7.88 million, 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 has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 15.56%, and is in the top third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 10.91%, which places it in the bottom 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. Over the past three years, WWSAX's standard deviation comes in at 21.02%, compared to the category average of 15.83%. Looking at the past 5 years, the fund's standard deviation is 21.19% 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 1.04, so it is likely going to be more volatile than the market at large. Alpha is an additional metric to take into consideration, since it represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which in this case, is the S&P 500. Over the past 5 years, the fund has a positive alpha of 1.15. This means that managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.HoldingsExamining 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 largely on equities that are traded in the United States.This fund is currently holding about 84.83% in stocks, with an average market capitalization of $2.66 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors:TechnologyFinanceIndustrial CyclicalTurnover is 72%, which means, on average, the fund makes fewer trades than comparable funds.ExpensesFor investors, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is key, since costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing. Competition is heating up in this space, and a lower cost product will likely outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, all things being equal. In terms of fees, WWSAX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.25% compared to the category average of 0.96%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, WWSAX is actually more expensive than its peers.While the minimum initial investment for the product is $1,000, investors should also note that there is no minimum for each subsequent investment.Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into consideration. Returns would be less if those were included.Bottom LineOverall, TETON Westwood Small Cap Equity A ( WWSAX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, worse downside risk, and higher fees, TETON Westwood Small Cap Equity A ( WWSAX ) looks like a poor potential choice for investors right now.Don't stop here for your research on Small Cap Blend 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 WWSAX to its peers as well for additional information. If you want to check out our stock reports as well, make sure to go to Zacks.com to see all of the great tools we have to offer, including our time-tested Zacks Rank.Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Get Your Free (WWSAX): 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