Is Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Admiral (VCSAX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

There are plenty of choices in the Large Cap Blend category, but where should you start your research? Well, one fund that might be worth investigating is Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Admiral (VCSAX). VCSAX has no Zacks Mutual Fund Rank, but we have been able to look into other metrics like performance, volatility, and cost.ObjectiveWe note that VCSAX is a Large Cap Blend option, an area loaded with different options. More often than not, Large Cap Blend mutual funds invest in companies with a market cap of over $10 billion. Buying stakes in bigger companies offer these funds more stability, and are well-suited for investors with a 'buy and hold' mindset. Additionally, blended funds mix large, more established firms into their portfolios, giving investors exposure to value and growth opportunities.History of Fund/ManagerVCSAX is a part of the Vanguard Group family of funds, a company based out of Malvern, PA. Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Admiral debuted in January of 2004. Since then, VCSAX has accumulated assets of about $1.24 billion, according to the most recently available information. The fund is currently managed by Chris Nieves who has been in charge of the fund since February of 2025.PerformanceOf course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 8.13%, and it sits in the top 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 6.04%, 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 12.99%, the standard deviation of VCSAX over the past three years is 10.96%. Looking at the past 5 years, the fund's standard deviation is 13.05% compared to the category average of 14.09%. This makes the fund less volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.Risk FactorsInvestors should not forget about beta, an important way to measure a mutual fund's risk compared to the market as a whole. VCSAX has a 5-year beta of 0.57, which means it is likely to be less volatile than the market average. 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. VCSAX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -2.54, which means managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.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, VCSAX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.10% compared to the category average of 0.88%. From a cost perspective, VCSAX is actually cheaper than its peers.Investors need to be aware that with this product, the minimum initial investment is $100,000; each subsequent investment needs to be at least $1.Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into consideration. Returns would be less if those were included.Bottom LineThis could just be the start of your research on VCSAX in the Large Cap Blend category. Consider going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for additional information about this fund, and all the others that we rank as well for additional information. And don't forget, Zacks has all of your needs covered on the equity side too! Make sure to check out Zacks.com for more information on our screening capabilities, Rank, and all our articles as well.5 Stocks Set to DoubleEach was handpicked by a Zacks expert as the favorite stock to gain +100% or more in the months ahead. 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