Income-seekers have had a torrid time over the past year, and it doesn't appear that there will be any light at the end of the tunnel for some time to come yet. To help investors find adequate bond fund offerings, I did a quick search of the Morningstar Fund Screener, which enables you to screen for funds by your chosen criteria. I screened for non-institutional UK primary funds, excluding fund of funds, that have earned a Morningstar Rating of Gold and carry a maximum total expense ratio of 1%.
The results reveal that just four bond fund offerings available to individual investors have earned Morningtar's highest accolade, a Gold Analyst Rating, and come at relatively low cost. Read more about Morningstar's rating scale here, or download the methodology here.
Excerpts from Morningstar analysts' reports, which are usually only available to Premium subscribers, on the four funds are copied below. Note that these four funds fall into three different bond-related Morningstar categories, and may fulfil differing roles in a diversified portfolio.
Gold-Rated Bond Funds with TERs Below 1%
Fidelity MoneyBuilder Income (Morningstar Category: GBP Corporate Bond)
In our view this is one of the very best sterling corporate bond funds for diversified and core exposure to this asset class. This fund has an excellent track record over a very long period. Talented fund manager Ian Spreadbury remains in place, supported by the team and process that he built more than a decade ago. Click here to read the full research.
IP Corporate Bond No Trail (Morningstar Category: GBP Corporate Bond)
The flexible investment approach can at times incorporate some volatility; however, the managers’ experience over a number of market cycles and the strong performance track record suggest they can add value over time. We think this is a strong long-term choice for investors seeking an actively managed corporate bond fund. Read the full research here.
PIMCO Total Return Bond Investor (Morningstar Category: EUR Diversified Bond)
Mistakes--not existential problems--are at the root of PIMCO Total Return's sluggish performance. While Gross' decision to go light on interest-rate and Treasury risk was clearly wrong for the period in question, there's no reason to view it as much more than that. The error did little to harm this fund's stellar long-term record, and, far from signaling a fund hamstrung by its size, relatively dramatic changes to its composition in the past year actually suggest the opposite. Read the full research here.
BlueBay High Yield Bond (Morningstar Category: Europe High Yield Bond)
We think BlueBay High Yield Bond can continue to do an excellent job for investors who are willing to accept its weekly dealing nature. Manager Anthony Robertson has a strong track record and co-manager Peter Higgins adds to the team’s firepower. With this team in place, we remain very confident in the fund’s potential to deliver attractive performance.
Use the Fund Screener tool to find funds that meet your portfolio's needs; check out Morningstar's other investor research and portfolio management tools.