Is Shelton Nasdaq-100 Index Direct (NASDX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

There are plenty of choices in the Large Cap Blend category, but where should you start your research? Well, one fund that might be worth investigating is Shelton Nasdaq-100 Index Direct (NASDX). NASDX has no Zacks Mutual Fund Rank, but we have been able to look into other metrics like performance, volatility, and cost.ObjectiveWe note that NASDX is a Large Cap Blend option, an area loaded with different options. More often than not, Large Cap Blend mutual funds invest in companies with a market cap of over $10 billion. Buying stakes in bigger companies offer these funds more stability, and are well-suited for investors with a 'buy and hold' mindset. Additionally, blended funds mix large, more established firms into their portfolios, giving investors exposure to value and growth opportunities.History of Fund/ManagerShelton is based in Denver, CO, and is the manager of NASDX. The Shelton Nasdaq-100 Index Direct made its debut in April of 2000 and NASDX has managed to accumulate roughly $2.02 billion in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund's current manager, Stephen C. Rogers, has been in charge of the fund since December of 2003.PerformanceObviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. NASDX has a 5-year annualized total return of 15.1%, and is 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 28%, 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. NASDX's standard deviation over the past three years is 15.99% compared to the category average of 15.94%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 19.92% compared to the category average of 19.38%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.Risk FactorsThe fund has a 5-year beta of 1.2, so investors should note that it is hypothetically more 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. The fund has produced a positive alpha over the past 5 years of 0.6, which shows that managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns.HoldingsExamining the equity holdings of a mutual fund is also a valuable exercise. This can show us how the manager is applying their stated methodology, as well as if there are any inherent biases in their approach. For this particular fund, the focus is mostly on equities that are traded in the United States.The mutual fund currently has 81.57% of its holdings in stocks, which have an average market capitalization of $711.22 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors:TechnologyRetail TradeWith turnover at about 15%, this fund is making fewer trades than comparable funds.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, NASDX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.52% compared to the category average of 0.93%. NASDX is actually cheaper than its peers when you consider factors like cost.Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $1,000 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.Bottom LineFor additional information on the Large Cap Blend area of the mutual fund world, make sure to check out www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds. There, you can see more about the ranking process, and dive even deeper into NASDX too for additional information. Want to learn even more? 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