6 days ago
Is Vanguard Value Index Admiral (VVIAX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?
Looking for a Large Cap Value fund? You may want to consider Vanguard Value Index Admiral (VVIAX) as a possible option. The fund does not have a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank, though we have been able to explore other metrics like performance, volatility, and cost.
VVIAX is one of many Large Cap Value mutual funds to choose from. These funds invest in equities with a market capitalization of $10 billion or more, but whose share prices do not reflect their intrinsic value. This strategy can often produce low P/E ratios and high dividend yields; growth levels; however, growth levels are oftentimes cut back. These funds'high growth opportunities are slowed even more since large-cap stocks are usually in more stable industries with low to moderate growth prospects. Thus, investors interested in a stable income stream fund Large Cap Value funds very appealing.
Vanguard Group is based in Malvern, PA, and is the manager of VVIAX. The Vanguard Value Index Admiral made its debut in November of 2000 and VVIAX has managed to accumulate roughly $36.28 billion in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund is currently managed by a team of investment professionals.
Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. VVIAX has a 5-year annualized total return of 13.86% and it sits in the middle third among its category peers. But if you are looking for a shorter time frame, it is also worth looking at its 3-year annualized total return of 8.48%, 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. Compared to the category average of 14.6%, the standard deviation of VVIAX over the past three years is 15.69%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 15.16% compared to the category average of 14.26%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.
Investors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 0.82, so it is likely going to be less volatile than the market at large. Because alpha represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which is the S&P 500 in this case, one should pay attention to this metric as well. The fund has produced a positive alpha over the past 5 years of 0.63, which shows that managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.
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, VVIAX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.05% compared to the category average of 0.94%. From a cost perspective, VVIAX is actually cheaper than its peers.
This fund requires a minimum initial investment of $3,000, and each subsequent investment should be at least $1.
Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included.
Don't stop here for your research on Large Cap Value 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 for more information about the world of funds, and feel free to compare VVIAX to its peers as well for additional information. Zacks provides a full suite of tools to help you analyze your portfolio - both funds and stocks - in the most efficient way possible.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (
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