Global - Equity fund seekers may want to consider taking a look at Vanguard Global Mineral Volatility Investor (VMVFX Quick QuoteVMVFX - Free Report) . VMVFX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

Objective

Zacks categorizes VMVFX as Global - Equity, which is a segment packed with options. Global - Equity mutual funds invest in large markets like the U.S., Europe, and Japan, and operate with very few geographical limitations. They also provide an investment technique that leverages the diverse nature of the global economy in the hopes of providing a stable return.

History of Fund/Manager

VMVFX finds itself in the Vanguard Group family, based out of Malvern, PA. Vanguard Global Mineral Volatility Investor made its debut in December of 2013, and since then, VMVFX has accumulated about $349.10 million in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. The fund's current manager, Antonio Picca, has been in charge of the fund since November of 2018.

Performance

Investors naturally seek funds with strong performance. VMVFX has a 5-year annualized total return of 6.74% 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 3.96%, which places it in the top third during this time-frame.

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. VMVFX's standard deviation over the past three years is 14.07% compared to the category average of 18.45%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 11.4% compared to the category average of 15.34%. This makes the fund less volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

Risk Factors

Investors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 0.67, which means it is hypothetically less volatile than the market at large. 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. The fund has produced a negative alpha over the past 5 years of -2.76, which shows that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.

Expenses

For 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, VMVFX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.21% compared to the category average of 1.16%. So, VMVFX is actually cheaper than its peers from a cost perspective.

While the minimum initial investment for the product is $3,000, investors should also note that each subsequent investment needs to be at least $1.

Bottom Line

Overall, Vanguard Global Mineral Volatility Investor ( VMVFX ) has a neutral Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, Vanguard Global Mineral Volatility Investor ( VMVFX ) looks like a somewhat average choice for investors right now.

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