Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Is RPSIX a Strong Bond Fund Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Mutual Fund Bond fund seekers may want to consider taking a look at T. Rowe Price Spectrum Income (RPSIX - Free Report) . RPSIX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

History of Fund/Manager

T. Rowe Price is responsible for RPSIX, and the company is based out of Baltimore, MD. T. Rowe Price Spectrum Income made its debut in June of 1990, and since then, RPSIX has accumulated about $1.98 billion in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. The fund is currently managed by Charles Shriver who has been in charge of the fund since May of 2011.

Performance

Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. RPSIX has a 5-year annualized total return of 1.4% and it sits in the middle 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 -0.34%, which places it in the middle 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. RPSIX's standard deviation over the past three years is 8.95% compared to the category average of 13.1%. Looking at the past 5 years, the fund's standard deviation is 7.22% compared to the category average of 11.23%. This makes the fund less volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

Expenses

As 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, RPSIX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.62% compared to the category average of 0.83%. So, RPSIX is actually cheaper than its peers from a cost perspective.

While the minimum initial investment for the product is $2,500, investors should also note that each subsequent investment needs to be at least $100.

Bottom Line

Overall, T. Rowe Price Spectrum Income ( RPSIX ) has a neutral Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, T. Rowe Price Spectrum Income ( RPSIX ) looks like a somewhat average choice for investors right now.

This could just be the start of your research on RPSIXin the Mutual Fund Bond category. Consider going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for additional information about this fund, and all the others that we rank as well for additional information. Zacks provides a full suite of tools to help you analyze your portfolio - both funds and stocks - in the most efficient way possible.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


T. Rowe Price Spectrum Income (RPSIX) - free report >>

Published in