Best- and worst-performing fixed-income funds

Best- and worst-performing fixed-income funds
By category, ranked by one-year total returns.
OCT 20, 2018
By  John Goff
CORE BOND
Top 10 1-year return 3-year return 5-year return Expense ratio* Portfolio net assets ($M)**
River Canyon Total Return Bond Fund;Institutional (RCTIX) 5.00% 5.31% N/A 0.72% $26.30
Anfield Universal Fixed Income Fund;I (AFLIX) 3.71% 3.57% 3.06% 1.27% $199.30
Miller Intermediate Bond Fund;I (MIFIX) 3.41% 5.33% N/A 1.05% $125.20
Ladder Select Bond Fund;Institutional (LSBIX) 2.68% N/A N/A 0.95% $13.40
Osterweis Total Return Fund (OSTRX) 1.81% N/A N/A 0.76% $99.20
Bramshill Income Performance Fund;Inst (BRMSX) 1.80% N/A N/A 1.45% $232.90
American Beacon Garcia Hamilton Qual Bd Fund;Inst (GHQIX) 1.48% N/A N/A 0.45% $227.30
Putnam Income Fund;A (PINCX) 1.17% 2.47% 2.60% 0.88% $626.70
Highland Fixed Income Fund;A (HFBAX) 0.43% 3.03% 2.64% 1.01% $97.40
Diamond Hill Core Bond Fund;Y (DHRYX) -0.03% N/A N/A 0.35% $36.80
Bottom 5
DoubleLine Long Duration Total Return Bond Fund;I (DBLDX) -3.59% 0.43% N/A 0.65% $59.30
Virtus Seix Total Return Bond Fund;I (SAMFX) -2.46% 0.89% 1.85% 0.46% $435.70
Dreyfus Intermediate Term Income Fund;A (DRITX) -2.28% 0.77% 1.44% 0.93% $373.40
North Country Intermediate Bond Fund (NCBDX) -2.21% 0.39% 0.96% 0.89% $73.70
Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond Index Fund;Inv (VBIIX) -2.10% 1.10% 2.32% 0.15% $1,120.00
Classification total/average -1.23% 1.45% 2.04% 0.72% $833,425.70
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond TR -1.22% 1.31% 2.16%
GENERAL AND INSURED MUNICIPAL DEBT
Top 10 1-year return 3-year return 5-year return Expense ratio* Portfolio net assets ($M)**
Oppenheimer Rochester AMT-Free Municipal Fund;A (OPTAX) 7.09% 6.47% 7.30% 1.03% $1,163.40
BlackRock Allocation Target Shares Series E (BATEX) 3.82% 6.08% N/A 0.08% $178.70
Nuveen Strategic Municipal Opportunities Fund;I (NSIOX) 3.60% 4.54% N/A 0.63% $104.70
Clearwater Tax-Exempt Bond Fund (QWVQX) 2.98% 4.73% 6.41% 0.66% $537.60
BNY Mellon Municipal Opportunities Fund;M (MOTMX) 2.95% 3.64% 4.72% 0.73% $1,428.20
Sit Tax-Free Income Fund (SNTIX) 2.73% 3.66% 5.49% 0.90% $219.10
SEI Tax-Advantaged Income Fund;F (SEATX) 2.38% 4.87% 5.75% 1.09% $1,163.60
Navigator Duration Neutral Bond Fund;I (NDNIX) 2.23% 2.59% 2.13% 1.35% $59.30
PIMCO Municipal Bond Fund;Institutional (PFMIX) 2.05% 3.78% 4.72% 0.48% $206.50
Wells Fargo CoreBuilder Shares - Srs M (WFCMX) 1.99% 3.21% 4.99% 0.00% $634.80
Bottom 5
Saratoga Municipal Bond Portfolio;I (SMBPX) -2.37% -0.33% 0.24% 3.74% $0.60
Manning & Napier Diversified Tax Exempt Series (EXDVX) -1.13% 0.40% 0.83% 0.58% $272.40
Neuberger Berman Municipal Impact Fund;Inst (NMIIX) -1.10% 1.09% 2.37% 0.43% $54.30
Madison Tax-Free National Fund;Y (GTFHX) -1.00% 1.17% 2.57% 0.75% $23.80
First Investors Tax Exempt Opportunities Fund;A (EIITX) -1.00% 1.21% 3.33% 1.00% $265.20
Classification total/average 0.56% 2.28% 3.66% 0.89% $147,656.60
Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond TR 0.35% 2.24% 3.54%
HIGH YIELD
Top 10 1-year return 3-year return 5-year return Expense ratio* Portfolio net assets ($M)**
Victory High Yield Fund;A (GUHYX) 6.39% 8.79% 5.41% 1.00% $22.90
Ivy ProShares Interest Rate Hedged High Yld Idx;I (IIIRX) 5.48% N/A N/A 0.65% $36.10
Catalyst/SMH High Income Fund;A (HIIFX) 5.45% 13.69% -0.95% 1.47% $14.60
Diamond Hill High Yield Fund;Y (DHHYX) 5.43% N/A N/A 0.55% $29.60
Fidelity Advisor High Income Advantage Fund;M (FAHYX) 5.07% 8.80% 6.57% 1.01% $355.50
Morgan Stanley Inst High Yield Portfolio;I (MSYIX) 5.01% 7.68% 6.00% 0.65% $91.40
Western Asset Short Duration High Income Fund;A (SHIAX) 4.97% 5.75% 3.00% 1.00% $264.20
Virtus Newfleet Credit Opportunities Fund;R6 (VRCOX) 4.97% 4.95% N/A 1.11% $86.10
Nuveen Symphony Credit Opportunities Fund;I (NCOIX) 4.92% 8.02% 4.84% 0.74% $587.00
Artisan High Income Fund;Advisor (APDFX) 4.84% 8.85% N/A 0.82% $1,941.10
Bottom 5
Robinson Opportunistic Income Fd;A (RBNAX) -1.04% N/A N/A 3.56% $3.80
CMG Tactical Bond;I (CHYOX) -0.96% 1.98% N/A 1.76% $10.10
AB High Income Fund;A (AGDAX) -0.61% 6.67% 4.69% 0.82% $1,420.40
Toews Tactical Income Fund (THHYX) -0.56% 4.22% 3.72% 1.61% $559.20
Tortoise Select Income Bond Fund;Institutional (TBNIX) -0.54% N/A N/A 0.50% $1.20
Classification total/average 2.24% 6.41% 4.31% 1.04% $238,604.80
Bloomberg Barclays US High Yield 2% Issuer Cap TR 3.05% 8.14% 5.54%
INFLATION-PROTECTED
Top 10 1-year return 3-year return 5-year return Expense ratio* Portfolio net assets ($M)**
Lord Abbett Inflation Focused Fund;I (LIFIX) 3.32% 3.36% 0.39% 0.50% $686.60
Eaton Vance Short Duration Inflation-Pro Inc;I (EIRRX) 2.21% 2.92% 1.47% 0.59% $305.50
Invesco Strategic Real Return Fund;A (SRRAX) 2.02% 3.80% N/A 0.82% $21.10
DFA Short-Duration Real Return Portfolio;Instl (DFAIX) 1.61% 2.27% N/A 0.24% $1,377.00
Federated Real Return Bond Fund;Class A (RRFAX) 1.49% 2.29% 0.84% 0.75% $23.80
Franklin Real Return Fund;A (FRRAX) 1.12% 2.59% 0.26% 0.93% $134.50
Wells Fargo Real Return Fund;Adm (IPBIX) 1.05% 3.06% 1.91% 0.60% $18.40
DFA LTIP Portfolio;Institutional (DRXIX) 0.93% 4.67% 3.18% 0.15% $183.00
PIMCO Fixed Income SHares Series R (FXIRX) 0.90% 3.01% 1.59% 0.62% $139.90
iShares Short-Term TIPS Bond Index;Inst (BIIPX) 0.88% N/A N/A 0.11% $1.30
Bottom 5
HC Inflation Protected Securities Portfolio;HC Adv (HCPAX) -0.49% 1.58% N/A 0.41% $0.10
MFS Inflation-Adjusted Bond Fund;A (MIAAX) -0.40% 1.31% 0.58% 0.80% $45.40
American Funds Inflation Linked Bond Fund;A (BFIAX) -0.35% 1.77% 1.47% 0.73% $645.70
Hartford Inflation Plus Fund;A (HIPAX) -0.24% 1.56% 0.48% 0.86% $178.80
Dreyfus Inflation Adjusted Securities Fund;I (DIASX) -0.11% 1.21% 0.66% 0.51% $22.00
Classification total/average 0.48% 1.97% 0.76% 0.76% $116,757.60
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. TIPS TR 0.41% 2.04% 1.37%
MULTISECTOR INCOME
Top 10 1-year return 3-year return 5-year return Expense ratio* Portfolio net assets ($M)**
AlphaCentric Income Opportunities Fund;I (IOFIX) 6.30% 10.21% N/A 1.52% $1,988.60
Semper MBS Total Return Fund;Inst (SEMMX) 5.27% 4.71% 6.43% 0.85% $1,636.20
Deer Park Total Return Credit Fund;I (DPFNX) 4.70% N/A N/A 2.01% $626.50
Credit Suisse Strategic Income Fund;I (CSOIX) 4.06% 7.42% 6.18% 1.24% $165.80
Osterweis Strategic Income Fund (OSTIX) 3.69% 5.83% 4.28% 0.88% $6,181.20
Angel Oak Multi-Strategy Income Fund;A (ANGLX) 3.68% 4.02% 4.40% 1.37% $612.80
Voya Strategic Income Opportunities Fund;I (IISIX) 3.43% 4.81% 4.67% 0.66% $365.70
Opportunistic Income Fund;A (ENIAX) 3.39% 3.53% 2.97% 0.52% $1,789.70
Angel Oak Flexible Income Fund;Institutional (ANFIX) 3.35% 2.30% N/A 0.87% $110.40
Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Fund;A (LBNDX) 2.82% 7.11% 5.66% 0.80% $4,701.50
Bottom 5
Toews Unconstrained Income Fund (TUIFX) -3.11% 1.85% 1.87% 1.52% $71.10
GuideMark Opportunistic Fixed Income Fund;Svc (GMIFX) -2.57% 2.04% 1.03% 1.56% $55.30
Horizon Active Income Fund;Investor (AIMNX) -1.88% 0.27% 0.41% 1.47% $270.30
John Hancock Strategic Income Opportunities Fd;NAV () -1.81% 2.95% 3.36% 0.66% $1,713.70
Oppenheimer Global Strategic Income Fund;A (OPSIX) -1.49% 2.96% 2.26% 0.99% $2,704.10
Classification total/average 0.63% 4.10% 3.30% 1.05% $263,101.20
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond TR -1.22% 1.31% 2.16%
LOAN PARTICIPATION
Top 10 1-year return 3-year return 5-year return Expense ratio* Portfolio net assets ($M)**
Catalyst Floating Rate Income Fund;I (CFRIX) 7.25% 4.91% 3.74% 1.18% $30.00
Fidelity Series Floating Rate High Income Fund (FFHCX) 5.82% 5.26% 3.88% 0.01% $455.40
Ziegler Floating Rate Fund;A (ZFLAX) 5.37% N/A N/A 1.00% $8.20
Victory Floating Rate Fund;Y (RSFYX) 5.36% 5.90% 3.70% 0.78% $289.00
Eaton Vance Floating-Rate Fund;Institutional (EIBLX) 5.34% 5.72% 3.98% 0.79% $7,219.20
Columbia Floating Rate Fund;A (RFRAX) 5.21% 5.18% 3.89% 1.04% $384.30
Pacific Funds Floating Rate Income;I (PLFRX) 5.18% 5.50% 3.99% 0.72% $471.50
Lord Abbett Floating Rate Fund;F (LFRFX) 5.16% 5.43% 4.13% 0.69% $6,551.30
Oppenheimer Senior Floating Rate Plus;A (OSFAX) 5.09% 5.36% 3.94% 1.61% $30.30
Natixis Loomis Sayles Senior Float Rt & Fxd Inc;Y (LSFYX) 5.08% 5.58% 4.62% 0.80% $3,224.90
Bottom 5
Palmer Square Income Plus Fund (PSYPX) 2.71% 3.09% N/A 0.78% $525.50
DWS Floating Rate Fund;C (DFRCX) 2.76% 1.14% 0.70% 1.80% $84.10
Dunham Floating Rate Bond Fund;A (DAFRX) 3.45% 3.65% N/A 1.30% $19.30
Neuberger Berman Floating Rate Income Fund;A (NFIAX) 3.74% 3.70% 2.94% 1.09% $20.20
Hartford Floating Rate Fund;C (HFLCX) 3.78% 4.49% 2.78% 1.74% $921.20
Classification total/average 4.40% 4.60% 3.38% 1.09% $137,695.00
S&P/LSTA Leveraged Loan TR 5.18% 5.30% 4.12%
As of Sept. 30. Excludes leveraged and inverse funds. Funds closed to new investors have been omitted for the top-10 grouping. Rankings are based on unrounded figures. Three- and five-year returns are annualized. 
In case of multiple share classes, the oldest share class is listed. N/A = not available (fund has been in operation for less than the period indicated). *Net prospectus. **As of Aug. 31.
Source: Lipper, a Thomson Reuters company

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