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Is Vanguard Energy Investor (VGENX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?
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On the lookout for a Mutual Fund Equity Report fund? Starting with Vanguard Energy Investor (VGENX - Free Report) is one possibility. VGENX possesses a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.
History of Fund/Manager
Vanguard Group is responsible for VGENX, and the company is based out of Malvern, PA. The Vanguard Energy Investor made its debut in May of 1984 and VGENX has managed to accumulate roughly $1.92 billion in assets, as of the most recently available information. G. Thomas Levering is the fund's current manager and has held that role since January of 2020.
Performance
Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 0.48%, 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 2.99%, 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. VGENX's standard deviation over the past three years is 28.42% compared to the category average of 31.96%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 25.32% compared to the category average of 27.62%. 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 1.02, which means it is hypothetically as volatile as 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. VGENX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -6.94, which means 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, VGENX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.43% compared to the category average of 1.46%. From a cost perspective, VGENX is actually cheaper than its peers.
This fund requires a minimum initial investment of $3,000, and each subsequent investment should be at least $1.
Bottom Line
Overall, Vanguard Energy Investor ( VGENX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively weak performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, Vanguard Energy Investor ( VGENX ) looks like a great potential choice for investors right now.
For additional information on this product, or to compare it to other mutual funds in the Mutual Fund Equity Report, make sure to go to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for additional information. If you are more of a stock investor, make sure to also check out our Zacks Rank, and our full suite of tools we have available for novice and professional investors alike.
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Is Vanguard Energy Investor (VGENX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?
On the lookout for a Mutual Fund Equity Report fund? Starting with Vanguard Energy Investor (VGENX - Free Report) is one possibility. VGENX possesses a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.
History of Fund/Manager
Vanguard Group is responsible for VGENX, and the company is based out of Malvern, PA. The Vanguard Energy Investor made its debut in May of 1984 and VGENX has managed to accumulate roughly $1.92 billion in assets, as of the most recently available information. G. Thomas Levering is the fund's current manager and has held that role since January of 2020.
Performance
Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 0.48%, 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 2.99%, 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. VGENX's standard deviation over the past three years is 28.42% compared to the category average of 31.96%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 25.32% compared to the category average of 27.62%. 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 1.02, which means it is hypothetically as volatile as 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. VGENX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -6.94, which means 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, VGENX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.43% compared to the category average of 1.46%. From a cost perspective, VGENX is actually cheaper than its peers.
This fund requires a minimum initial investment of $3,000, and each subsequent investment should be at least $1.
Bottom Line
Overall, Vanguard Energy Investor ( VGENX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively weak performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, Vanguard Energy Investor ( VGENX ) looks like a great potential choice for investors right now.
For additional information on this product, or to compare it to other mutual funds in the Mutual Fund Equity Report, make sure to go to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for additional information. If you are more of a stock investor, make sure to also check out our Zacks Rank, and our full suite of tools we have available for novice and professional investors alike.