Is Vanguard Windsor-II Admiral (VWNAX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

If you've been stuck searching for Large Cap Value funds, consider Vanguard Windsor-II Admiral (VWNAX) as a possibility. VWNAX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.ObjectiveLarge Cap Value mutual funds invest in stocks with a market capitalization of $10 billion or more, but whose share prices do not reflect their intrinsic value; this value investing strategy often leads to low P/E ratios and high dividend yields, though growth levels are often curtailed. The high-growth opportunity of these funds are slowed even further, as large-cap securities are generally in stable industries with low to moderate growth prospects. Therefore, Large Cap Value funds are usually more appealing to investors who are interested in a stable income stream.History of Fund/ManagerVanguard Group is based in Malvern, PA, and is the manager of VWNAX. Vanguard Windsor-II Admiral made its debut in May of 2001, and since then, VWNAX has accumulated about $48.17 billion in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. The fund is currently managed by a team of investment professionals.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 12.18%, and it sits in the top 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 6.32%, which places it in the bottom 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. The standard deviation of VWNAX over the past three years is 16.45% compared to the category average of 15.28%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 18.69% compared to the category average of 16.88%. 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 0.99, so it is likely going to be as volatile as 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. The fund has produced a negative alpha over the past 5 years of -1.82, which shows that 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, VWNAX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.25% compared to the category average of 0.93%. From a cost perspective, VWNAX is actually cheaper than its peers.While the minimum initial investment for the product is $50,000, investors should also note that each subsequent investment needs to be at least $1.Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included.Bottom LineOverall, Vanguard Windsor-II Admiral ( VWNAX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, Vanguard Windsor-II Admiral ( VWNAX ) looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.Want even more information about VWNAX? Then go over to Zacks.com and check out our mutual fund comparison tool, and all of the other great features that we have to help you with your mutual fund analysis 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.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. 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