Is Vanguard Total International Stock Index AD (VTIAX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

There are plenty of choices in the Index category, but where should you start your research? Well, one fund that might be worth investigating is Vanguard Total International Stock Index AD (VTIAX). While this fund is not tracked by the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank, we were able to examine other factors like performance, volatility, and cost.History of Fund/ManagerVTIAX is a part of the Vanguard Group family of funds, a company based out of Malvern, PA. Vanguard Total International Stock Index AD debuted in November of 2010. Since then, VTIAX has accumulated assets of about $75.09 billion, according to the most recently available information. The fund is currently managed by Michael Perre who has been in charge of the fund since November of 2010.PerformanceOf course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 5.68%, and it sits in the middle third among its category peers. But if you are looking for a shorter time frame, it is also worth looking at its 3-year annualized total return of 2.76%, 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. VTIAX's standard deviation over the past three years is 16.75% compared to the category average of 14.78%. The fund's standard deviation over the past 5 years is 17.82% compared to the category average of 15.94%. 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 0.85, which means it is hypothetically less volatile than 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. VTIAX's 5-year performance has produced a negative alpha of -6.54, which means 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, VTIAX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.11% compared to the category average of 0.92%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, VTIAX is actually cheaper than its peers.Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $3,000 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 LineYour research on the Index 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. 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.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. With a fast-growing customer base (already 50+ million) and a diverse set of cutting edge solutions, this stock is poised for big gains. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWant 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 (VTIAX): 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