Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Is DBLTX a Strong Bond Fund Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

There are plenty of choices in the Government Mortgage - Intermediate category, but where should you start your research? Well, one fund that might be worth investigating is DoubleLine Total Return Bond I (DBLTX - Free Report) . DBLTX carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.

Objective

The world of Government Mortgage - Intermediate funds is an area filled with choices, such as DBLTX. A mortgage-backed security (MBS) is a type of asset-backed security that packages mortgages together and then sells off the pooled securities. Government Mortgage - Intermediate funds focus on this market; this fund category presents a medium risk and yield profile, and concentrates on MBS with at least three years to maturity but less than 10.

History of Fund/Manager

DBLTX is a part of the Double Line family of funds, a company based out of Los Angeles, CA. The DoubleLine Total Return Bond I made its debut in April of 2010 and DBLTX has managed to accumulate roughly $24.25 billion in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund is currently managed by a team of investment professionals.

Performance

Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 0.48%, and it sits in the middle third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 2.06%, 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. Over the past three years, DBLTX's standard deviation comes in at 6.9%, compared to the category average of 11.59%. The fund's standard deviation over the past 5 years is 5.79% compared to the category average of 11.1%. This makes the fund less volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.

With a beta of 1.02, this fund is more volatile than a broad market index of fixed income securities. Taking this into account, DBLTX has a positive alpha of 0.81, 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, DBLTX has 70% in high quality bonds rated at least 'AA' or higher. The fund has an average quality of AA, and focuses on high quality securities.

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, DBLTX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.50% compared to the category average of 0.86%. From a cost perspective, DBLTX is actually cheaper than its peers.

Investors need to be aware that with this product, the minimum initial investment is $100,000; 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, DoubleLine Total Return Bond I ( DBLTX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, better downside risk, and lower fees, DoubleLine Total Return Bond I ( DBLTX ) looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.

This could just be the start of your research on DBLTXin the Government Mortgage - Intermediate 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. And don't forget, Zacks has all of your needs covered on the equity side too! Make sure to check out Zacks.com for more information on our screening capabilities, Rank, and all our articles as well.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


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


DOUBLELINE TOTAL RET BOND I (DBLTX) - free report >>

Published in