VPMAX Mutual Fund Stock Price & Overview

They hunt firms whose long-term prospects the market undervalues—either because the growth story is nascent, clouded by controversy, or is simply off other investors’ radar. This dedication to giving investors a trading advantage led to the creation of our proven Zacks Rank stock-rating system. The fund’s main objective is to seek long-term growth of capital. Select from up to 50 different data points to find the mutual funds that best Screen meet your unique criteria. For instance, the fund’s returns can thrill or disappoint depending on biotech’s performance relative to the market. Big bets on biotech and semiconductors, which the fund has continuously favored, can sway the fund’s shorter-term results.

In these cases, holding firm becomes damaging as the stocks’ prices fall and potential gains elsewhere are foregone. A long-term orientation also works when a company suffers a steep share-price drop, but its troubles are fixable and fleeting. It often holds stocks for a decade or more, a rare trait that can pay off when it backs firms with competitive moats, rising earnings, or skilled leadership. But flaws in the investment team’s sell discipline warrant a downgrade of the strategy’s Process Pillar rating to Above Average from High. Our research team assigns Gold ratings to strategies that they have the most conviction will outperform a relevant index, or most peers, over a market cycle on a risk-adjusted basis. Its portfolio consists predominantly of large- and mid-capitalization stocks.

The firm is mindful of company valuation, prizes unconventional thinking, and pursues stocks off the beaten path. Its investment team is well-stocked with industry veterans and newcomers hired for their intellect, curiosity, and range of professional perspectives. Primecap is led by investors, not marketers, and keeps its focus on research and portfolio management. Since the fund’s inception, the average annual return has been 18.17%.

It created roughly a dozen low-cost bond exchange-traded funds for US investors and several others abroad over the 12 months through June 2025. Stylistically flexible, it has stood out since 2016 for its big helpings of both value stocks and growth stocks (per Morningstar’s classification). The fund’s diversification across the value-growth spectrum is notable. Primecap’s managers calibrate their stock picks to each of their funds‘ unique attributes, including the size of their asset base. They are benchmark-agnostic and long-term-oriented, often holding stocks for a decade or more. As before, Primecap parcels the fund’s assets into independently managed sleeves.

On the surface, its endeavor into the high-fee deal-making world of private assets alongside Wellington and Blackstone looks like a cultural mismatch. Vanguard has ambitions to bring its disruptive legacy to the bond market. In some instances, it has had to curb certain services and capabilities or raise fees on others to cope, causing some loyal clients to criticize what they perceive as deteriorating services. It established a separate division dedicated to its advice and wealth management efforts, a sign that it wants to seriously compete within those lines of business. Kolokotrones is the veteran of the group, with over 50 years of industry experience; Marchetti, its most junior member, has around 20 years of industry experience, all at Primecap.

A simple, equally-weighted average return of all Zacks Rank stocks is calculated to determine the monthly return. The fund may also invest in companies with below-average earnings but bright prospects for earnings growth. Narrow down the universe of 18,000+ funds we rank with our robust, yet easy-to-use mutual fund screeners. The analysts, whose industry experience ranges from less than one year to 20 years, divide coverage by sector and get a small portion of assets to pick stocks in their areas of expertise.

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At the center of everything we do is a strong commitment to independent research and sharing its profitable discoveries with investors. This page has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved or endorsed by the companies represented herein. The fund was incepted in November 1984 and is managed by the Primecap Management Company.

Research similar Mutual Funds with higher ranks and performance ratings. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities. We sell different types of products and services to both investment professionals and individual investors. Each Primecap manager owns all six of the firm’s US open-end funds. The fund’s holdings in semiconductors and airlines have long been among the category’s bigger stakes.

Fund Description

These are alternative share classes of the same fund, from the same provider. Short-term performance may be volatile when these sectors are strongly in or out of favor. One risk to note is that the fund may become concentrated in a few sectors, notably technology and health care. Zacks may license the Zacks Mutual Fund rating provided herein to third parties, including but not limited to the issuer. Since 1988 it has more than doubled the S&P 500 with an average gain of +23.86% per year.

• One risk to note is that the fund may become concentrated in a few sectors, notably technology and health care.
• At the center of everything we do is a strong commitment to independent research and sharing its profitable discoveries with investors.
• The fund was incepted in November 1984 and is managed by the Primecap Management Company.
• Research similar Mutual Funds with higher ranks and performance ratings.
• Five of its most experienced investors run the bulk of its assets.
• In some instances, it has had to curb certain services and capabilities or raise fees on others to cope, causing some loyal clients to criticize what they perceive as deteriorating services.

Vanguard Primecap Core and Primecap Odyssey Stock emphasize companies Aviator with mispriced assets or turnaround potential, which yields portfolios with somewhat more value-leaning characteristics. They can be too slow to cut companies whose competitive edge has dulled, financials have weakened, or growth stories have ended. Five of its most experienced investors run the bulk of its assets. For investors seeking a differentiated approach to large-cap investing, this fund remains a worthy holding. It has also faced some stylistic headwinds, with a contrarian bent and slight bias toward smaller-cap companies that have lagged in a market enthralled by momentum and mega caps.

We provide a platform for our authors to report on investments fairly, accurately, and from the investor’s point of view. Transparency is how we protect the integrity of our work and keep empowering investors to achieve their goals and dreams. But the team has also demonstrated skillful stock-picking over the long haul.

Is Vanguard PRIMECAP Fund Investor (VPMCX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now?

Firm co-founder Theo Kolokotrones has run a portion of the fund since June 1985, six months after its inception. It held a negligible stake in Apple, the market’s biggest constituent. It recently held 8% in financials versus the broad market’s 14% share.

The fund invests in stocks of companies with above-average prospects for continued earnings growth, strong industry positions, and skilled management teams. A large chunk of the fund’s assets (about 25%) sits in biotech and pharma stocks, as defined by the Global Industry Classification Standard. Primecap Odyssey Growth and this fund focus on stocks with above-average growth potential, though the former has more in small caps and less in large caps. This large- and mid-capitalization growth fund is managed with a long-term perspective, extremely low turnover, and a well-established investment strategy.

The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. Based on page view growth over the last 3 trading days

This fund may be considered a complement to an already diversified portfolio with a long-term time horizon. Certain Zacks Rank stocks for which no month-end price was available, pricing information was not collected, or for certain other reasons have been excluded from these return calculations. Zacks Ranks stocks can, and often do, change throughout the month. Only Zacks Rank stocks included in Zacks hypothetical portfolios at the beginning of each month are included in the return calculations. Zacks Rank stock-rating system returns are computed monthly based on the beginning of the month and end of the month Zacks Rank stock prices plus any dividends received during that particular month. The fund may not be broadly diversified and at times the fund may invest a large portion of its assets in select industries.