If you’ve been stuck searching for Large Cap Blend funds, consider Mairs & Power Growth Fund (MPGFX) as a possibility. MPGFX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.
MPGFX is part of the Large Cap Blend section, an area that boasts an array of many possible options. Large Cap Blend mutual funds most often invest in firms with a market capitalization of $10 billion or more. By investing in bigger companies, these funds offer more stability, and are often well-suited for investors with a ‘buy and hold’ mindset. Blended funds mix large, established companies into their holdings, which gives investors exposure to both value and growth at the same time.
Mairs & Power is responsible for MPGFX, and the company is based out of St. Paul, MN. Mairs & Power Growth Fund made its debut in November of 1958, and since then, MPGFX has accumulated about $5.68 billion in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. Andrew Adams is the fund’s current manager and has held that role since January of 2015.
Obviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 14.92%, and is in the bottom third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 18.61%, 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. MPGFX’s standard deviation over the past three years is 13.59% compared to the category average of 13.78%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 16.28% compared to the category average of 15.9%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.
Investors should not forget about beta, an important way to measure a mutual fund’s risk compared to the market as a whole. MPGFX has a 5-year beta of 1.01, which means it is likely to be as volatile as 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. With a negative alpha of -2.38, managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.
For investors, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is key, since costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing. Competition is heating up in this space, and a lower cost product will likely outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, all things being equal. In terms of fees, MPGFX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.63% compared to the category average of 0.71%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, MPGFX is actually cheaper than its peers.
Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $2,500 and that each subsequent investment needs to be at $100.
Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into consideration. Returns would be less if those were included.
Overall, Mairs & Power Growth Fund ( MPGFX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, this fund looks like a great potential choice for investors right now.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).