Is Vanguard STAR Fund (VGSTX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

If you've been stuck searching for Allocation Balanced funds, you might want to consider passing on by Vanguard STAR Fund (VGSTX) as a possibility. VGSTX carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 4 (Sell), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.ObjectiveThe world of Zacks' Allocation Balanced funds is an area filled with options, such as VGSTX. These funds like to invest in a variety of asset types, finding a balance between stocks, bonds, cash, and sometimes even precious metals and commodities; they are mostly categorized by their respective asset allocation. For investors, Allocation Balanced funds can provide an entry point into diversified mutual funds, and present core holding options for a portfolio of funds.History of Fund/ManagerVGSTX is a part of the Vanguard Group family of funds, a company based out of Malvern, PA. The Vanguard STAR Fund made its debut in March of 1985 and VGSTX has managed to accumulate roughly $22.77 billion in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund's current manager is a team of investment professionals.PerformanceInvestors naturally seek funds with strong performance. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 7.18%, and is in the middle third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 9.25%, 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. VGSTX's standard deviation over the past three years is 12.45% compared to the category average of 11.73%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 12.56% compared to the category average of 11.08%. 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 0.73, which means it is hypothetically less volatile than the market at large. 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. VGSTX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -4.7, which means managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.ExpensesAs competition heats up in the mutual fund market, costs become increasingly important. Compared to its otherwise identical counterpart, a low-cost product will be an outperformer, all other things being equal. Thus, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is vital for investors. In terms of fees, VGSTX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.29% compared to the category average of 0.70%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, VGSTX 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 $1.Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into consideration. Returns would be less if those were included.Bottom LineOverall, Vanguard STAR Fund ( VGSTX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, this fund looks like a somewhat weak choice for investors right now.For additional information on this product, or to compare it to other mutual funds in the Allocation Balanced, make sure to go to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds 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.One Big Gain, Every Trading DayTo help you take full advantage of this market, you’re invited to access every stock recommendation in all our private portfolios - for just $1.Zacks private portfolio services that closed 256 double and triple-digit winners in 2024 alone. That’s about one big gain every day the market was open. Of course, not all our picks are winners, but members have seen recent gains as high as +627% +1,340%, and +1,708%.Imagine how much you could profit with a steady stream of real-time picks from all our services that cover a number of strategies to suit a variety of investing and trading styles.See Stocks 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 (VGSTX): 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