Latest news with #BaronAssetFund
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jim Cramer on Charles Schwab: 'Be Very Careful Before You Do Some Buying'
The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW) is one of the stocks that Jim Cramer shared insights on. During the episode, Cramer recommended caution before investing in the stock after its recent run. He said: 'Finally, don't say I didn't tell you so, we've been championing Charles Schwab from the days when the doubters cast dispersions on the balance sheet. That was 25 points ago. They've been silent of late. But I think the short sellers like to come out and color the opening of trading when Schwab opens. I say be very careful before you do some buying.' A corporate finance professional studying a financial performance chart. Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW) provides a broad range of financial services, including wealth management, brokerage, banking, and advisory solutions. Furthermore, the company offers trading platforms, investment products, retirement tools, and support for individual investors and financial advisors. Baron Asset Fund stated the following regarding The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW) in its Q1 2025 investor letter: 'Strength in Financials came from specialty insurer Arch Capital Group Ltd. and brokerage firm The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW). Schwab's shares outperformed for a second consecutive quarter, helped by an improved earnings outlook. After reaching trough levels last year, Schwab's cash balances continued to trend higher during the quarter. Investors believe Schwab will use these balances to pay down higher cost borrowings, which should drive net interest income and earnings higher.' While we acknowledge the potential of SCHW as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Is Baron Asset Fund Retail (BARAX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?
Any investors hoping to find a Mid Cap Growth fund might consider looking past Baron Asset Fund Retail (BARAX). BARAX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 5 (Strong Sell), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. Zacks categorizes BARAX as Mid Cap Growth, a segment packed with options. Mid Cap Growth mutual funds aim to target companies with a market capitalization between $2 billion and $10 billion that are also expected to exhibit more extensive growth opportunities for investors than their peers. A firm is typically considered to be a growth stock if it consistently posts impressive sales and/or earnings growth. Baron is based in New York, NY, and is the manager of BARAX. Baron Asset Fund Retail made its debut in June of 1987, and since then, BARAX has accumulated about $2.24 billion in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. Andrew Peck is the fund's current manager and has held that role since July of 2003. Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 6.73%, and it sits in the bottom 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 10.41%, 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 BARAX over the past three years is 18.19% compared to the category average of 16.26%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 18.82% compared to the category average of 16.1%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Investors should not forget about beta, an important way to measure a mutual fund's risk compared to the market as a whole. BARAX has a 5-year beta of 1.05, which means it is likely to be more volatile than the market average. 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. BARAX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -8.23, which means managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. 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, BARAX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.29% compared to the category average of 0.98%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, BARAX is actually more expensive than its peers. Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $2,000 and that each subsequent investment has no minimum amount. Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included. Overall, Baron Asset Fund Retail ( BARAX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively weak performance, average downside risk, and higher fees, this fund looks like a somewhat weak choice for investors right now. Want even more information about BARAX? Then go over to 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. For analysis of the rest of your portfolio, make sure to visit for our full suite of tools which will help you investigate all of your stocks and funds in one place. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Get Your Free (BARAX): Fund Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ron Baron Reduces Stake in Ansys Inc by 39.82% in Q1 2025
Ron Baron (Trades, Portfolio) recently submitted the 13F filing for the first quarter of 2025, providing insights into his investment moves during this period. Ron Baron (Trades, Portfolio) is the founder of Baron Capital Management. He is Co-Portfolio Manager of Baron Asset Fund and remains Portfolio Manager of the Growth and Partners Funds. Baron graduated from Bucknell University with a B.A. in Chemistry, and later attended George Washington University Law School in the evenings. Ron Baron (Trades, Portfolio) invests primarily in small and mid-size growth companies. He likes companies with open-ended growth opportunities and defensible niches. He applies a bottom-up company research, invests for the long-term, and tries to purchase companies at what he believes are attractive prices. He invests in growth companies using a value-oriented purchase discipline. Baron ignores short-term market fluctuations when he believes the fundamental reasons for purchasing a company have not changed. He holds investments for longer than five years on average. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 7 Warning Signs with CAE. Ron Baron (Trades, Portfolio) added a total of 29 stocks, among them: The most significant addition was American Tower Corp (NYSE:AMT), with 699,676 shares, accounting for 0.45% of the portfolio and a total value of $152.25 million. The second largest addition to the portfolio was Prologis Inc (NYSE:PLD), consisting of 792,536 shares, representing approximately 0.26% of the portfolio, with a total value of $88.60 million. The third largest addition was Karman Holdings Inc (NYSE:KRMN), with 2,400,648 shares, accounting for 0.24% of the portfolio and a total value of $80.23 million. Ron Baron (Trades, Portfolio) also increased stakes in a total of 101 stocks, among them: The most notable increase was FIGS Inc (NYSE:FIGS), with an additional 27,833,825 shares, bringing the total to 58,671,584 shares. This adjustment represents a significant 90.26% increase in share count, a 0.37% impact on the current portfolio, with a total value of $269.30 million. The second largest increase was Wynn Resorts Ltd (NASDAQ:WYNN), with an additional 745,404 shares, bringing the total to 854,666. This adjustment represents a significant 682.22% increase in share count, with a total value of $71.36 million. Ron Baron (Trades, Portfolio) completely exited 31 holdings in the first quarter of 2025, as detailed below: Inari Medical Inc (NARI): Ron Baron (Trades, Portfolio) sold all 1,312,528 shares, resulting in a -0.17% impact on the portfolio. Aspen Technology Inc (AZPN): Ron Baron (Trades, Portfolio) liquidated all 253,214 shares, causing a -0.16% impact on the portfolio. Ron Baron (Trades, Portfolio) also reduced positions in 136 stocks. The most significant changes include: Reduced Ansys Inc (NASDAQ:ANSS) by 563,914 shares, resulting in a -39.82% decrease in shares and a -0.49% impact on the portfolio. The stock traded at an average price of $335.47 during the quarter and has returned 1.65% over the past 3 months and 2.13% year-to-date. Reduced Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) by 365,676 shares, resulting in a -2.51% reduction in shares and a -0.38% impact on the portfolio. The stock traded at an average price of $333.26 during the quarter and has returned -3.58% over the past 3 months and -15.04% year-to-date. At the first quarter of 2025, Ron Baron (Trades, Portfolio)'s portfolio included 314 stocks, with top holdings including 10.82% in Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), 5.64% in Arch Capital Group Ltd (NASDAQ:ACGL), 4.65% in Gartner Inc (NYSE:IT), 4.43% in CoStar Group Inc (NASDAQ:CSGP), and 3.44% in MSCI Inc (NYSE:MSCI). The holdings are mainly concentrated in 9 of the 11 industries: Consumer Cyclical, Financial Services, Technology, Real Estate, Healthcare, Industrials, Communication Services, Basic Materials, and Consumer Defensive. This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
