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

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If you're looking for a Mutual Fund Equity Report fund category, then a potential option is Janus Henderson US Managed Volatilty T (JRSTX - Free Report) . JRSTX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

History of Fund/Manager

Janus Fund is responsible for JRSTX, and the company is based out of Boston, MA. Janus Henderson US Managed Volatilty T debuted in July of 2009. Since then, JRSTX has accumulated assets of about $123.92 million, according to the most recently available information. The fund's current manager, Ashwin Alankar, has been in charge of the fund since June of 2022.

Performance

Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. JRSTX has a 5-year annualized total return of 6.93% 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 6.21%, 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. Compared to the category average of 17.69%, the standard deviation of JRSTX over the past three years is 20.97%. The fund's standard deviation over the past 5 years is 17.73% compared to the category average of 15.5%. 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 0.89, so it is likely going to be 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. JRSTX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -1.46, which means managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.

Holdings

Exploring the equity holdings of a mutual fund is also a valuable exercise. This can show us how the manager is applying their stated methodology, as well as if there are any inherent biases in their approach. For this particular fund, the focus is principally on equities that are traded in the United States.

Right now, 81.56% of this mutual fund's holdings are stocks, which have an average market capitalization of $44.09 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors:

  • Finance
  • Non-Durable
  • Utilities
With turnover at about 152%, this fund makes more trades per year than the comparable average.

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 0.78% compared to the category average of 0.91%. 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 neutral Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively weak performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, this fund looks like a somewhat average choice for investors right now.

Want even more information about JRSTX? Then go over to Zacks.com and check out our mutual fund comparison tool, and all of the other great features that we have to help you with your mutual fund analysis 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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