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Is VTIPX a Strong Bond Fund Right Now?

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If you're looking for a Mutual Fund Bond fund category, then a possible option is Vanguard Short Term Inflation Protected Security Index Iv (VTIPX - Free Report) . The fund does not have a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank, though we have been able to explore other metrics like performance, volatility, and cost.

History of Fund/Manager

Vanguard Group is responsible for VTIPX, and the company is based out of Malvern, PA. Since Vanguard Short Term Inflation Protected Security Index Iv made its debut in October of 2012, VTIPX has garnered more than $9.08 million in assets. The fund is currently managed by Joshua Barrickman who has been in charge of the fund since October of 2012.

Performance

Investors naturally seek funds with strong performance. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 2.98%, and it sits in the bottom 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 4.09%, which places it in the bottom 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. Compared to the category average of 11.28%, the standard deviation of VTIPX over the past three years is 1.99%. Looking at the past 5 years, the fund's standard deviation is 1.76% compared to the category average of 10%. This makes the fund less volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

This fund has a beta of 0.14, meaning that it is less volatile than a broad market index of fixed income securities. Taking this into account, VTIPX has a positive alpha of 1.88, which measures performance on a risk-adjusted basis.

Expenses

For investors, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is key, since costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing. Competition is heating up in this space, and a lower cost product will likely outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, all things being equal. In terms of fees, VTIPX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.14% compared to the category average of 0.65%. From a cost perspective, VTIPX is actually cheaper than its peers.

Investors need to be aware that with this product, the minimum initial investment is $0; each subsequent investment has no minimum amount.

Bottom Line

For additional information on this product, or to compare it to other mutual funds in the Mutual Fund Bond, 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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