Is Vanguard US Growth Investor (VWUSX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

If you have been looking for Large Cap Growth funds, a place to start could be Vanguard US Growth Investor (VWUSX). VWUSX holds a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.ObjectiveVWUSX is part of the Large Cap Growth section, and this segment boasts an array of other possible options. Large Cap Growth mutual funds purchase stakes in numerous large U.S. companies that are expected to develop and grow at a faster rate than other large-cap stocks. Companies are usually considered to be large-cap if their market capitalization is over $10 billion.History of Fund/ManagerVWUSX finds itself in the Vanguard Group family, based out of Malvern, PA. Vanguard US Growth Investor debuted in August of 1961. Since then, VWUSX has accumulated assets of about $10.47 billion, according to the most recently available information. The fund's current manager is a team of investment professionals.PerformanceObviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 12.12%, and is in the bottom 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 22.73%, 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. VWUSX's standard deviation over the past three years is 19.68% compared to the category average of 16.89%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 22.48% compared to the category average of 16.75%. 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 1.25, which means it is hypothetically more volatile than the market at large. 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. The fund has produced a negative alpha over the past 5 years of -5.28, which shows 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 94.65% of its holdings in stocks, with an average market capitalization of $579.99 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors:TechnologyRetail TradeFinanceWith turnover at about 30%, this fund makes fewer trades than its comparable peers.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, VWUSX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.33% compared to the category average of 0.94%. VWUSX is actually cheaper than its peers when you consider factors like cost.This fund requires a minimum initial investment of $3,000, and each subsequent investment should 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, even with its comparatively weak performance, worse downside risk, and lower fees, Vanguard US Growth Investor ( VWUSX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and therefore looks a great potential choice for investors right now.This could just be the start of your research on VWUSX in the Large Cap Growth 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. Zacks provides a full suite of tools to help you analyze your portfolio - both funds and stocks - in the most efficient way possible.5 Stocks Set to DoubleEach was handpicked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in the coming year. While not all picks can be winners, previous recommendations have soared +112%, +171%, +209% and +232%.Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>Want 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 (VWUSX): 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