If you have been looking for Mutual Fund Equity Report funds, it would not be wise to start your search with T. Rowe Price Blue Chip Growth I (TBCIX Quick QuoteTBCIX - Free Report) . TBCIX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 4 (Sell), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

History of Fund/Manager

TBCIX finds itself in the T. Rowe Price family, based out of Baltimore, MD. T. Rowe Price Blue Chip Growth I made its debut in December of 2015, and since then, TBCIX has accumulated about $38.15 billion in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. The fund's current manager, Paul Greene, has been in charge of the fund since October of 2021.

Performance

Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 11.81%, 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 9.3%, 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. Over the past three years, TBCIX's standard deviation comes in at 21.13%, compared to the category average of 16.41%. The fund's standard deviation over the past 5 years is 19.26% compared to the category average of 14.72%. 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 1.08, which means it is hypothetically more 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. TBCIX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -1.84, which means managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.

Holdings

Investigating 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 largely on equities that are traded in the United States.

The mutual fund currently has 98.16% of its holdings in stocks, which have an average market capitalization of $801.35 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors:

1. Technology
2. Retail Trade

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, TBCIX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.56% compared to the category average of 1%. TBCIX is actually cheaper than its peers when you consider factors like cost.

This fund requires a minimum initial investment of $500,000, while there is no minimum for each subsequent investment.

Bottom Line

Overall, T. Rowe Price Blue Chip Growth I ( TBCIX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively weak performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, this fund looks like a somewhat weak choice for investors right now.

Don't stop here for your research on Mutual Fund Equity Report 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 TBCIX to its peers 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.