Now that volatility has returned to the capital markets with a vengeance, investors looking for stability in returns might want to look at an income-oriented fund with a secondary focus on capital appreciation. The Templeton Global Bond Fund (TEGBX) invests in bonds of companies, governments, and government agencies located around the world -- and it has a string of consistent returns in recent years, averaging more than 11% over the past five years and more than 8% for the past decade.
Fund facts
- Inception date: May 1, 1995
- Expense ratio: 1.42%
- Net assets: $1.6 billion
- Investment minimums: Regular $1,000
Fund specifics
A glance at the top holdings of Templeton Global Bond shows the cosmopolitan nature of the fund. You'll find a nearly 7% holding in a Korea treasury bond, a 6.6% position in a government bond from Sweden, and 4.6% of assets in a French government bond.
Contrast that global focus with a domestic bond fund, such as the iShares Lehman U.S. Aggregate Bond Index Fund
Portfolio fit?
With the run-up in overseas markets, many investors have dipped their toes into the global arena and included non-U.S. equity exposure in their portfolios. Often, that exposure does not include fixed-income holdings, although the recent downturn in equity markets worldwide has shown the value of including debt in your holdings. Templeton Global Bond fund has solid returns over an extended period of time, and a consistent manager, Dr. Michael Hasenstab, has managed the fund since 2001.
The demonstrated ability to generate positive returns over a 10-year time period -- which includes the dot-com crash and at least a portion of the credit market debacle -- mark this fund as one that should receive serious consideration for an investor's global fixed-income allocation.
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