Is JPMorgan Disciplined Equity A (JDEAX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

Having trouble finding a Large Cap Blend fund? JPMorgan Disciplined Equity A (JDEAX) is a potential starting point. JDEAX holds a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.ObjectiveWe note that JDEAX is a Large Cap Blend option, an area loaded with different options. More often than not, Large Cap Blend mutual funds invest in companies with a market cap of over $10 billion. Buying stakes in bigger companies offer these funds more stability, and are well-suited for investors with a " buy and hold " mindset. Additionally, blended funds mix large, more established firms into their portfolios, giving investors exposure to value and growth opportunities.History of Fund/ManagerJDEAX is a part of the J.P. Morgan family of funds, a company based out of Boston, MA. JPMorgan Disciplined Equity A made its debut in January of 1997, and since then, JDEAX has accumulated about $176.29 million in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. The fund is currently managed by Raffaele Zingone who has been in charge of the fund since July of 2002.PerformanceObviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 15.25%, and it sits 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 9.08%, 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. JDEAX's standard deviation over the past three years is 17.12% compared to the category average of 15.24%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 18.4% compared to the category average of 16.24%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.Risk FactorsInvestors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 1.01, which means it is hypothetically as volatile as the market at large. 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. With a positive alpha of 0.58, managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.ExpensesFor 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, JDEAX is a load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.60% compared to the category average of 0.88%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, JDEAX is actually cheaper than its peers.Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $1,000 and that each subsequent investment needs to be at $50Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included.Bottom LineOverall, JPMorgan Disciplined Equity A ( JDEAX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, this fund looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.For additional information on the Large Cap Blend area of the mutual fund world, make sure to check out www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds. There, you can see more about the ranking process, and dive even deeper into JDEAX too 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.Just Released: Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2025Hurry – you can still get in early on our 10 top tickers for 2025. Handpicked by Zacks Director of Research Sheraz Mian, this portfolio has been stunningly and consistently successful. 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