Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Is Vanguard Mid-Cap Value Index Investor (VMVIX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors in search of a Mutual Fund Equity Report fund might want to consider looking at Vanguard Mid-Cap Value Index Investor (VMVIX - Free Report) . While this fund is not tracked by the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank, we were able to examine other factors like performance, volatility, and cost.

History of Fund/Manager

Vanguard Group is responsible for VMVIX, and the company is based out of Malvern, PA. The Vanguard Mid-Cap Value Index Investor made its debut in August of 2006 and VMVIX has managed to accumulate roughly $39.47 million in assets, as of the most recently available information. A team of investment professionals is the fund's current manager.

Performance

Obviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. VMVIX has a 5-year annualized total return of 5.39% and is 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 12.63%, which places it in the middle 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 20.84%, the standard deviation of VMVIX over the past three years is 18.49%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 21.44% compared to the category average of 18.62%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

Risk Factors

The fund has a 5-year beta of 1.05, so investors should note that 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. VMVIX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -5.05, which means managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.

Holdings

Examining 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 primarily on equities that are traded in the United States.

Currently, this mutual fund is holding 94.51% stock in stocks, which have an average market capitalization of $23.91 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors:

  • Finance
  • Utilities
  • Industrial Cyclical
This fund's turnover is about 18%, so the fund managers are making fewer trades than comparable funds.

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, VMVIX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.19% compared to the category average of 1.08%. From a cost perspective, VMVIX is actually cheaper than its peers.

While the minimum initial investment for the product is $0, investors should also note that there is no minimum for each subsequent investment.

Bottom Line

Want even more information about VMVIX? 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.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


Vanguard Mid-Cap Value Index Inv (VMVIX) - free report >>

Published in