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There are plenty of choices in the Mutual Fund Bond category, but where should you start your research? Well, one fund that might be worth investigating is Thompson Bond Fund (THOPX - Free Report) . THOPX carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.
History of Fund/Manager
Thompson is responsible for THOPX, and the company is based out of Madison, WI. Since Thompson Bond Fund made its debut in February of 1992, THOPX has garnered more than $1.56 billion in assets. The fund's current manager, Jason Stephens, has been in charge of the fund since February of 2009.
Performance
Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. THOPX has a 5-year annualized total return of 1.05% and is 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 -0.71%, 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 3.79%, the standard deviation of THOPX over the past three years is 6.87%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 5.35% compared to the category average of 3.05%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.
This fund has a beta of -0.21, meaning that it is less volatile than a broad market index of fixed income securities. Taking this into account, THOPX has a positive alpha of 0.04, which measures performance on a risk-adjusted basis.
Ratings
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, THOPX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.73% compared to the category average of 0.66%. So, THOPX is actually more expensive than its peers from a cost perspective.
Investors need to be aware that with this product, the minimum initial investment is $250; each subsequent investment needs to be at least $50.
Bottom Line
Overall, Thompson Bond Fund ( THOPX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, average downside risk, and higher fees, Thompson Bond Fund ( THOPX ) looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.
Want even more information about THOPX? 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. Zacks provides a full suite of tools to help you analyze your portfolio - both funds and stocks - in the most efficient way possible.
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Is THOPX a Strong Bond Fund Right Now?
There are plenty of choices in the Mutual Fund Bond category, but where should you start your research? Well, one fund that might be worth investigating is Thompson Bond Fund (THOPX - Free Report) . THOPX carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on various forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance.
History of Fund/Manager
Thompson is responsible for THOPX, and the company is based out of Madison, WI. Since Thompson Bond Fund made its debut in February of 1992, THOPX has garnered more than $1.56 billion in assets. The fund's current manager, Jason Stephens, has been in charge of the fund since February of 2009.
Performance
Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. THOPX has a 5-year annualized total return of 1.05% and is 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 -0.71%, 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 3.79%, the standard deviation of THOPX over the past three years is 6.87%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 5.35% compared to the category average of 3.05%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.
This fund has a beta of -0.21, meaning that it is less volatile than a broad market index of fixed income securities. Taking this into account, THOPX has a positive alpha of 0.04, which measures performance on a risk-adjusted basis.
Ratings
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, THOPX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.73% compared to the category average of 0.66%. So, THOPX is actually more expensive than its peers from a cost perspective.
Investors need to be aware that with this product, the minimum initial investment is $250; each subsequent investment needs to be at least $50.
Bottom Line
Overall, Thompson Bond Fund ( THOPX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, average downside risk, and higher fees, Thompson Bond Fund ( THOPX ) looks like a good potential choice for investors right now.
Want even more information about THOPX? 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. Zacks provides a full suite of tools to help you analyze your portfolio - both funds and stocks - in the most efficient way possible.