Is Eventide Gilead Fund N (ETGLX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

Any investors hoping to find a Mid Cap Growth fund could think about starting with Eventide Gilead Fund N (ETGLX). ETGLX holds a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.ObjectiveZacks categorizes ETGLX 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.History of Fund/ManagerEventide is based in Willow Grove, PA, and is the manager of ETGLX. Eventide Gilead Fund N made its debut in July of 2008, and since then, ETGLX has accumulated about $293.50 million in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. The fund is currently managed by Finny Kuruvilla who has been in charge of the fund since July of 2008.PerformanceObviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. ETGLX has a 5-year annualized total return of 2.5%, 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 11.93%, 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, ETGLX's standard deviation comes in at 18.87%, compared to the category average of 12.97%. The fund's standard deviation over the past 5 years is 20.23% compared to the category average of 14.44%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.Risk FactorsWith a 5-year beta of 1.1, the fund is likely to be more volatile than the market average. Alpha is an additional metric to take into consideration, since it represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which in this case, is the S&P 500. The fund has produced a negative alpha over the past 5 years of -11.29, which shows that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.ExpensesCosts 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, ETGLX is a no load fund and it has an expense ratio of 1.38%.Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $1,000 and that each subsequent investment needs to be at $50.Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into consideration. Returns would be less if those were included.Bottom LineWith a rank of 'hold' we aren't getting a good signal one way or another on ETGLX. That is why it might be a good idea to consider other items, such as the fund's expense ratio of 1.38%, and how this compares to other potential options being considered for investment. If cheaper, it might make a decent choice, but a more expensive fund might be worth avoiding. Just make sure to pay attention to its rank in case it shifts in the near future.Want even more information about ETGLX? 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. Zacks provides a full suite of tools to help you analyze your portfolio - both funds and stocks - in the most efficient way possible.Quantum Computing Stocks Set To SoarArtificial intelligence has already reshaped the investment landscape, and its convergence with quantum computing could lead to the most significant wealth-building opportunities of our time.Today, you have a chance to position your portfolio at the forefront of this technological revolution. In our urgent special report, Beyond AI: The Quantum Leap in Computing Power, you'll discover the little-known stocks we believe will win the quantum computing race and deliver massive gains to early investors.Access the Report Free Now >>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 (ETGLX): Fund Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks