Is Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Admiral (VCSAX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

Looking for a Large Cap Blend fund? You may want to consider Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Admiral (VCSAX) as a possible option. The fund does not have a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank, though we have been able to explore other metrics like performance, volatility, and cost.ObjectiveWe note that VCSAX 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/ManagerVanguard Group is responsible for VCSAX, and the company is based out of Malvern, PA. The Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Admiral made its debut in January of 2004 and VCSAX has managed to accumulate roughly $1.32 billion in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund's current manager, Nick Birkett, has been in charge of the fund since July of 2021.PerformanceOf course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 9.08%, and is in the top third among its category peers. If you're interested in shorter time frames, do not dismiss looking at the fund's 3 -year annualized total return of 7.21%, 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. VCSAX's standard deviation over the past three years is 13.76% compared to the category average of 15.24%. The fund's standard deviation over the past 5 years is 14.08% compared to the category average of 15.5%. This makes the fund less volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.Risk FactorsInvestors should not forget about beta, an important way to measure a mutual fund's risk compared to the market as a whole. VCSAX has a 5-year beta of 0.62, which means it is likely to be less volatile than the market average. 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. VCSAX has generated a negative alpha over the past five years of -0.99, demonstrating 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, VCSAX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.10% compared to the category average of 0.88%. So, VCSAX is actually cheaper than its peers from a cost perspective.Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $100,000 and that each subsequent investment needs to be at $1Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included.Bottom LineDon't stop here for your research on Large Cap Blend 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 VCSAX to its peers as well for additional information. If you want to check out our stock reports as well, make sure to go to Zacks.com to see all of the great tools we have to offer, including our time-tested Zacks Rank.Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.This top pick is among the most innovative financial firms. 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