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Is Virtus KAR Small Cap Sustain Growth I (PXSGX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?
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Small Cap Growth fund seekers should consider taking a look at Virtus KAR Small Cap Sustain Growth I (PXSGX - Free Report) . PXSGX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.
Objective
PXSGX is part of the Small Cap Growth category, and this segment boasts an array of many other possible options. Small Cap Growth mutual funds usually focus their portfolios on stocks with large growth opportunities and a market cap of under $2 billion. These portfolios tend to feature small companies in up-and-coming industries and markets.
History of Fund/Manager
Virtus Funds is responsible for PXSGX, and the company is based out of Hartford, CT. Virtus KAR Small Cap Sustain Growth I made its debut in June of 2006, and since then, PXSGX has accumulated about $6.09 billion in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. The fund's current manager, Todd Beiley, has been in charge of the fund since April of 2008.
Performance
Obviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 31.68%, and is 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 29.12%, 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. Over the past three years, PXSGX's standard deviation comes in at 20.37%, compared to the category average of 17.57%. The fund's standard deviation over the past 5 years is 16.49% compared to the category average of 14.53%. 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. PXSGX has generated a positive alpha over the past five years of 14.73, demonstrating that managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking 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, PXSGX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.09% compared to the category average of 1.21%. From a cost perspective, PXSGX is actually cheaper than its peers.
Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $100,000 and that each subsequent investment has no minimum amount.
Bottom Line
Overall, Virtus KAR Small Cap Sustain Growth I ( PXSGX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, Virtus KAR Small Cap Sustain Growth I ( PXSGX ) looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.
Don't stop here for your research on Small Cap Growth 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 PXSGX to its peers as well 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 Virtus KAR Small Cap Sustain Growth I (PXSGX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?
Small Cap Growth fund seekers should consider taking a look at Virtus KAR Small Cap Sustain Growth I (PXSGX - Free Report) . PXSGX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.
Objective
PXSGX is part of the Small Cap Growth category, and this segment boasts an array of many other possible options. Small Cap Growth mutual funds usually focus their portfolios on stocks with large growth opportunities and a market cap of under $2 billion. These portfolios tend to feature small companies in up-and-coming industries and markets.
History of Fund/Manager
Virtus Funds is responsible for PXSGX, and the company is based out of Hartford, CT. Virtus KAR Small Cap Sustain Growth I made its debut in June of 2006, and since then, PXSGX has accumulated about $6.09 billion in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. The fund's current manager, Todd Beiley, has been in charge of the fund since April of 2008.
Performance
Obviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 31.68%, and is 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 29.12%, 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. Over the past three years, PXSGX's standard deviation comes in at 20.37%, compared to the category average of 17.57%. The fund's standard deviation over the past 5 years is 16.49% compared to the category average of 14.53%. 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. PXSGX has generated a positive alpha over the past five years of 14.73, demonstrating that managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking 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, PXSGX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.09% compared to the category average of 1.21%. From a cost perspective, PXSGX is actually cheaper than its peers.
Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $100,000 and that each subsequent investment has no minimum amount.
Bottom Line
Overall, Virtus KAR Small Cap Sustain Growth I ( PXSGX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, Virtus KAR Small Cap Sustain Growth I ( PXSGX ) looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.
Don't stop here for your research on Small Cap Growth 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 PXSGX to its peers as well 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.