Is Victory Sustainable World (USAWX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

On the lookout for a Global - Equity fund? Starting with Victory Sustainable World (USAWX) should not be a possibility at this time. USAWX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 4 (Sell), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.ObjectiveWe note that USAWX is a Global - Equity option, an investment area loaded with different options. While Global - Equity mutual funds invest their assets in large markets-think the U.S., Europe, and Japan-they aren't limited by geography. Their investment technique is one that leverages the global economy in order to offer stable returns.History of Fund/ManagerVictory is based in Columbus, OH, and is the manager of USAWX. Since Victory Sustainable World made its debut in October of 1992, USAWX has garnered more than $1.52 billion in assets. A team of investment professionals is the fund's current manager.PerformanceOf course, investors look for strong performance in funds. USAWX has a 5-year annualized total return of 11.49%, and it sits in the top 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 18.54%, 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, USAWX's standard deviation comes in at 11.95%, compared to the category average of 12.25%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 14.4% compared to the category average of 14.16%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.Risk FactorsThe fund has a 5-year beta of 0.93, so investors should note that it is hypothetically less 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. USAWX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -2.48, which means managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.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, USAWX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.02% compared to the category average of 0.96%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, USAWX is actually more expensive than its peers.Investors need to be aware that with this product, the minimum initial investment is $3,000; 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, Victory Sustainable World ( USAWX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and higher fees, this fund looks like a poor potential choice for investors right now.Want even more information about USAWX? 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? We have a full suite of tools on stocks that you can use to find the best choices for your portfolio too, no matter what kind of investor you are.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 (USAWX): 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