If you have been looking for Mutual Fund Equity Report funds, a place to start could be Parnassus Core Equity Investor (PRBLX Quick QuotePRBLX - Free Report) . PRBLX carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

History of Fund/Manager

PRBLX is a part of the Parnassus family of funds, a company based out of San Francisco, CA. Since Parnassus Core Equity Investor made its debut in September of 1992, PRBLX has garnered more than $12.88 billion in assets. A team of investment professionals is the fund's current manager.

Performance

Investors naturally seek funds with strong performance. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 11.89%, 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 10.13%, which places it in the middle 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. The standard deviation of PRBLX over the past three years is 17.22% compared to the category average of 16.13%. The fund's standard deviation over the past 5 years is 17.4% compared to the category average of 17.11%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

Risk Factors

Investors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 0.91, which means it is hypothetically less 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. PRBLX's 5-year performance has produced a positive alpha of 1.45, which means managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.

Expenses

As 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, PRBLX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.82% compared to the category average of 0.98%. From a cost perspective, PRBLX is actually cheaper than its peers.

This fund requires a minimum initial investment of $2,000, and each subsequent investment should be at least $50.

Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included.

Bottom Line

Overall, Parnassus Core Equity Investor ( PRBLX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, Parnassus Core Equity Investor ( PRBLX ) looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.

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