Is Vanguard Growth & Income Admiral (VGIAX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

Large Cap Blend fund seekers should consider taking a look at Vanguard Growth & Income Admiral (VGIAX). VGIAX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.ObjectiveVGIAX is classified in the Large Cap Blend segment by Zacks, which is an area full of potential. Targeting companies with market caps of more than $10 billion, Large Cap Blend mutual funds offer a stable investment choice; these funds are perfect for investors with a " buy and hold " mindset. Since blended funds mix large, more established firms into their portfolios, investors are exposed to both value and growth opportunities.History of Fund/ManagerVanguard Group is based in Malvern, PA, and is the manager of VGIAX. Vanguard Growth & Income Admiral made its debut in May of 2001, and since then, VGIAX has accumulated about $11.95 billion in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. A team of investment professionals is the fund's current manager.PerformanceObviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. VGIAX has a 5-year annualized total return of 15.4% and it sits 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 9.47%, 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. Over the past three years, VGIAX's standard deviation comes in at 16.86%, compared to the category average of 15.74%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 18.1% compared to the category average of 16.63%. This makes the fund more 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. VGIAX has a 5-year beta of 1, which means it is likely to be as volatile as the market average. Because alpha represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which is the S&P 500 in this case, one should pay attention to this metric as well. Over the past 5 years, the fund has a positive alpha of 0.16. This means that managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking 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, VGIAX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.24% compared to the category average of 0.85%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, VGIAX is actually cheaper than its peers.Investors need to be aware that with this product, the minimum initial investment is $50,000; each subsequent investment needs to be at least $1.Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included.Bottom LineOverall, Vanguard Growth & Income Admiral ( VGIAX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, Vanguard Growth & Income Admiral ( VGIAX ) looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.Your research on the Large Cap Blend segment doesn't have to stop here. You can check out all the great mutual fund tools we have to offer by going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds to see the additional features we offer 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.Free Today: Profiting from The Future’s Brightest Energy SourceThe demand for electricity is growing exponentially. At the same time, we’re working to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels like oil and natural gas. 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