Is Vanguard Selected Value Fund (VASVX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

If investors are looking at the Mid Cap Value fund category, Vanguard Selected Value Fund (VASVX) could be a potential option. VASVX holds a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.ObjectiveThe world of Mid Cap Value funds is an area filled with options, like VASVX. Targeting medium-sized companies with a market cap between $2 billion and $10 billion, Mid Cap Value mutual funds more often than not choose stocks that hold solid value and income investment opportunities.History of Fund/ManagerVanguard Group is based in Malvern, PA, and is the manager of VASVX. Since Vanguard Selected Value Fund made its debut in February of 1996, VASVX has garnered more than $6.18 billion in assets. 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 16.16%, 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 11.6%, which places it in the top 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, VASVX's standard deviation comes in at 19.34%, compared to the category average of 19.45%. The fund's standard deviation over the past 5 years is 20.01% compared to the category average of 18.23%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.Risk FactorsWith a 5-year beta of 1.02, the fund is likely to be as volatile as the market average. 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. VASVX has generated a positive alpha over the past five years of 0.61, demonstrating 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 primarily on equities that are traded in the United States.Right now, 82.86% of this mutual fund's holdings are stocks, with an average market capitalization of $14.58 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors:FinanceIndustrial CyclicalThis fund's turnover is about 26%, so the fund managers are making fewer trades than the average comparable fund.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, VASVX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.36% compared to the category average of 0.97%. So, VASVX is actually cheaper than its peers from a cost perspective.Investors need to be aware that with this product, the minimum initial investment is $3,000; 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 LineOverall, Vanguard Selected Value Fund ( VASVX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, this fund looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.Want even more information about VASVX? 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. Want to learn even more? 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Click to get this free report Get Your Free (VASVX): 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