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Is Janus Henderson US Managed Volatilty T (JRSTX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

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Any investors hoping to find a Large Cap Blend fund might consider looking past Janus Henderson US Managed Volatilty T (JRSTX - Free Report) . JRSTX carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 4 (Sell), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

Objective

JRSTX is classified in the Large Cap Blend segment by Zacks, which is an area full of potential. Targeting companies with market caps of more than $10 billion, Large Cap Blend mutual funds offer a stable investment choice; these funds are perfect for investors with a " buy and hold " mindset. Since blended funds mix large, more established firms into their portfolios, investors are exposed to both value and growth opportunities.

History of Fund/Manager

Janus Fund is based in Boston, MA, and is the manager of JRSTX. Since Janus Henderson US Managed Volatilty T made its debut in July of 2009, JRSTX has garnered more than $191.50 million in assets. The fund is currently managed by a team of investment professionals.

Performance

Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. JRSTX has a 5-year annualized total return of 12.53% and it sits in the bottom third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 12.5%, which places it in the bottom 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. Over the past three years, JRSTX's standard deviation comes in at 17.63%, compared to the category average of 15.61%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 14.22% compared to the category average of 12.85%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

Risk Factors

With a 5-year beta of 0.86, the fund 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. Over the past 5 years, the fund has a negative alpha of -2.07. This means that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.

Expenses

Costs 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, JRSTX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.79% compared to the category average of 0.95%. So, JRSTX is actually cheaper than its peers from a cost perspective.

While the minimum initial investment for the product is $2,500, investors should also note that there is no minimum for each subsequent investment.

Bottom Line

Overall, Janus Henderson US Managed Volatilty T ( JRSTX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively weak performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, Janus Henderson US Managed Volatilty T ( JRSTX ) looks like a somewhat weak choice for investors right now.

Don't stop here for your research on Large Cap Blend funds. We also have plenty more on our site in order to help you find the best possible fund for your portfolio. Make sure to check out www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for more information about the world of funds, and feel free to compare JRSTX to its peers 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.


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