Any investors hoping to find a Mutual Fund Equity Report fund could think about starting with MFS Aggressive Growth Allocation A (MAAGX Quick QuoteMAAGX - Free Report) . MAAGX carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

History of Fund/Manager

MAAGX finds itself in the MFS family, based out of Boston, MA. MFS Aggressive Growth Allocation A debuted in June of 2002. Since then, MAAGX has accumulated assets of about $1.50 billion, according to the most recently available information. The fund's current manager, Joseph C. Flaherty Jr.Has been in charge of the fund since June of 2002.

Performance

Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 7.88%, and is in the top third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 9.66%, 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. Over the past three years, MAAGX's standard deviation comes in at 16.59%, compared to the category average of 14.76%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 17.34% compared to the category average of 15.57%. 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 0.9, which means it is hypothetically less 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. With a negative alpha of -3.04, managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.

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, MAAGX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.38% compared to the category average of 0.85%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, MAAGX is actually cheaper than its peers.

While the minimum initial investment for the product is $1,000, investors should also note that each subsequent investment needs to be at least $50.

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

Bottom Line

Overall, MFS Aggressive Growth Allocation A ( MAAGX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, MFS Aggressive Growth Allocation A ( MAAGX ) looks like a good potential 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 MAAGX to its peers as well for additional information. Want to learn even more? We have a full suite of tools on stocks that you can use to find the best choices for your portfolio too, no matter what kind of investor you are.