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Is PRSNX a Strong Bond Fund Right Now?

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There are plenty of choices in the Diversified Bonds category, but where should you start your research? Well, one fund that might be worth investigating is T. Rowe Price Global Multi-Sector Bond Investor (PRSNX - Free Report) . PRSNX bears a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

Objective

The world of Diversified Bonds funds is an area filled with options, such as PRSNX. Investors looking for exposure to a variety of fixed income types that stretch across issuers, maturities, and credit levels will find a good fit with Diversified Bonds funds. Typically, these funds have a solid amount of exposure to government debt, as well as modest holdings in the corporate bond market.

History of Fund/Manager

T. Rowe Price is responsible for PRSNX, and the company is based out of Baltimore, MD. Since T. Rowe Price Global Multi-Sector Bond Investor made its debut in December of 2008, PRSNX has garnered more than $753.37 million in assets. The fund is currently managed by Kenneth Orchard who has been in charge of the fund since January of 2018.

Performance

Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 1.61%, and is in the top third among its category peers. If you're interested in shorter time frames, do not dismiss looking at the fund's 3 -year annualized total return of -0.26%, which places it in the middle third during this time-frame.

It is important to note that the product's returns may not reflect all its expenses. Any fees not reflected would lower the returns. Total returns do not reflect the fund's [%] sale charge. If sales charges were included, total returns would have been lower.

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. PRSNX's standard deviation over the past three years is 6.63% compared to the category average of 11.59%. Looking at the past 5 years, the fund's standard deviation is 7.42% compared to the category average of 12.02%. This makes the fund less volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

PRSNX carries a beta of 0.55, meaning that the fund is less volatile than a broad market index of fixed income securities. With this in mind, it has a positive alpha of 1.49, which measures performance on a risk-adjusted basis.

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, PRSNX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.63% compared to the category average of 0.82%. Looking at the fund from a cost perspective, PRSNX is actually cheaper than its peers.

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.

Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included.

Bottom Line

Overall, T. Rowe Price Global Multi-Sector Bond Investor ( PRSNX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, this fund looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.

Want even more information about PRSNX? Then go over to Zacks.com and check out our mutual fund comparison tool, and all of the other great features that we have to help you with your mutual fund analysis for additional information. If you want to check out our stock reports as well, make sure to go to Zacks.com to see all of the great tools we have to offer, including our time-tested Zacks Rank.


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