Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Is ACTDX a Strong Bond Fund Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Having trouble finding a Muni - Bonds fund? Invesco High Yield Municipals Y (ACTDX - Free Report) is a possible starting point. ACTDX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

Objective

We classify ACTDX in the Muni - Bonds category, an area rife with potential choices. Muni - Bonds funds focus their investments on debt securities issued by state and local governments. These are typically used to pay for the construction of infrastructure, the operation of public schools, and other municipal functions. These securities can come in the form of revenue bonds, which are backed by taxes, as well as " general obligation " bonds that are not backed by a defined source. Investors are usually interested that come with most municipal bonds, which can be especially important for those in higher tax brackets.

History of Fund/Manager

Invesco is based in Kansas City, MO, and is the manager of ACTDX. Invesco High Yield Municipals Y debuted in March of 2006. Since then, ACTDX has accumulated assets of about $2.47 billion, according to the most recently available information. The fund is currently managed by a team of investment professionals.

Performance

Obviously, what investors are looking for in these funds is strong performance relative to their peers. ACTDX has a 5-year annualized total return of 4.83% 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 4.58%, 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. The standard deviation of ACTDX over the past three years is 7.74% compared to the category average of 12.65%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 6.65% compared to the category average of 10.89%. This makes the fund less volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

ACTDX carries a beta of 0.93, meaning that the fund is less volatile than a broad market index of fixed income securities. With this in mind, it has a negative alpha of -0.41, which measures performance on a risk-adjusted basis.

Ratings

Investors should also consider a bond's rating, which is a grade ( 'AAA' to 'D' ) given to a bond that indicates its credit quality. With this letter scale in mind, ACTDX has 24.99% in medium quality bonds, with ratings of 'A' to 'BBB'. The fund's junk bond component-bonds rated 'BB' or below-is at 27.73%, giving ACTDX an average quality of BBB. This means that it focuses on medium quality securities.

However, it is worth noting that 39 % of the bonds in this fund are not ranked, so take the average quality level with a bit of caution.

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, ACTDX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.61% compared to the category average of 0.83%. From a cost perspective, ACTDX is actually cheaper than its peers.

Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $1,000 and that each subsequent investment needs to be at $50.

Bottom Line

Overall, Invesco High Yield Municipals Y ( ACTDX ) has a neutral Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, this fund looks like a somewhat average choice for investors right now.

Don't stop here for your research on Muni - Bonds funds. We also have plenty more on our site in order to help you find the best possible fund for your portfolio. Make sure to check out www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for more information about the world of funds, and feel free to compare ACTDX to its peers 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:


INVESCO HIGH YIELD MUNI Y (ACTDX) - free report >>

Published in