Investors in search of a Mutual Fund Bond fund might want to consider looking at Wells Fargo Coreblder Shares Series M (WFCMX). WFCMX has no Zacks Mutual Fund Rank, but we have been able to look into other metrics like performance, volatility, and cost.
History of Fund/Manager
WFCMX is a part of the Allspring family of funds, a company based out of San Francisco, CA. Since Wells Fargo Coreblder Shares Series M made its debut in February of 2009, WFCMX has garnered more than $680.75 million in assets. A team of investment professionals is the fund's current manager.
Performance
Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 1.35%, and it sits in the middle 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 -1.74%, 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. Compared to the category average of 7.12%, the standard deviation of WFCMX over the past three years is 6%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 5.9% compared to the category average of 7.05%. This makes the fund less volatile than its peers over the past half-decade.
With a beta of 0.82, this fund is less volatile than a broad market index of fixed income securities. Taking this into account, WFCMX has a positive alpha of 1.15, 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, WFCMX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0% compared to the category average of 0.77%. From a cost perspective, WFCMX is actually cheaper than its peers.
Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $0 and that each subsequent investment has no minimum amount.
Fees charged by investment advisors have not been taken into considiration. Returns would be less if those were included.