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Is Dodge & Cox Stock Fund (DODGX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

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Having trouble finding a Large Cap Value fund? Dodge & Cox Stock Fund (DODGX - Free Report) is a potential starting point. DODGX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

 

Objective

 

Large Cap Value mutual funds invest in stocks with a market capitalization of $10 billion or more, but whose share prices do not reflect their intrinsic value; this value investing strategy often leads to low P/E ratios and high dividend yields, though growth levels are often curtailed. The high-growth opportunity of these funds are slowed even further, as large-cap securities are generally in stable industries with low to moderate growth prospects. Therefore, Large Cap Value funds are usually more appealing to investors who are interested in a stable income stream.

 

History of Fund/Manager

 

Dodge & Cox is responsible for DODGX, and the company is based out of San Francisco, CA. Dodge & Cox Stock Fund debuted in December of 1964. Since then, DODGX has accumulated assets of about $63.66 billion, according to the most recently available information. The fund is currently managed by a team of investment professionals.

 

Performance

 

Investors naturally seek funds with strong performance. DODGX has a 5-year annualized total return of 13.48% 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 9.08%, which places it in the top 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 DODGX over the past three years is 17.25% compared to the category average of 0%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 20.86% compared to the category average of 24%. 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 1.03, 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. With a negative alpha of -1.17, 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, DODGX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.51% compared to the category average of 98%. So, DODGX is actually cheaper than its peers from a cost perspective.

Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $2,500 and that each subsequent investment needs to be at $100

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

 

Bottom Line

 

Overall, Dodge & Cox Stock Fund ( DODGX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, Dodge & Cox Stock Fund ( DODGX ) looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.

This could just be the start of your research on DODGXin the Large Cap Value category. Consider going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for additional information about this fund, and all the others that we rank as well for additional information. And don't forget, Zacks has all of your needs covered on the equity side too! Make sure to check out Zacks.com for more information on our screening capabilities, Rank, and all our articles as well.


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