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Is PTIAX a Strong Bond Fund Right Now?

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Government Bond - Intermediate fund seekers should consider taking a look at Performance Trust Total Return Bond (PTIAX - Free Report) . PTIAX possesses a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

Objective

We classify PTIAX in the Government Bond - Intermediate category, an area rife with potential choices. Government Bond - Intermediate funds hold securities issued by the federal government of the United States, and are often seen as risk-free assets; they are also described as extremely low-risk from a default perspective. Best suited for investors looking to balance their existing core bond portfolio, these funds carry the risk and return potential that is between short and long government bonds.

History of Fund/Manager

Performance is based in New York, NY, and is the manager of PTIAX. The Performance Trust Total Return Bond made its debut in August of 2010 and PTIAX has managed to accumulate roughly $1.56 billion in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund's current manager, G. Michael Plaiss, has been in charge of the fund since August of 2010.

Performance

Investors naturally seek funds with strong performance. PTIAX has a 5-year annualized total return of 5.14% and is in the top third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 4.87%, which places it in the top third during this time-frame.

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. Over the past three years, PTIAX's standard deviation comes in at 2.14%, compared to the category average of 2.62%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 2.22% compared to the category average of 2.73%. This makes the fund less volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

Expenses

Costs 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, PTIAX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.81% compared to the category average of 0.79%. PTIAX is actually more expensive than its peers when you consider factors like cost.

Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $2,500 and that each subsequent investment needs to be at $500.

Bottom Line

Overall, Performance Trust Total Return Bond ( PTIAX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and higher fees, Performance Trust Total Return Bond ( PTIAX ) looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.

For additional information on this product, or to compare it to other mutual funds in the Government Bond - Intermediate, make sure to go to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds 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.


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