Morningstar.com: Try Baird Short Term Bond Fund to Lower Portfolio Risk
Firm
Baird Short Term Bond Fund is highlighted as one of "3 Ways to Reduce Risk in a Portfolio" in a December 12 Morningstar.com article. The author writes that people nearing retirement might be able to mitigate risk by adding a short term bond fund to their portfolios, and refers to the Silver-rated Baird Short Term Bond Fund as one of Morningstar's favorites.
Analyst Rating is the summary expression of Morningstar's forward-looking analysis of a fund. Morningstar analysts assign the ratings on a five-tier scale with three positive ratings of Gold, Silver, and Bronze, a Neutral rating, and a Negative rating. The Analyst Rating is based on the analyst's conviction in the fund's ability to outperform its peer group and/or relevant benchmark on a risk-adjusted basis over the long term. If a fund receives a positive rating of Gold, Silver, or Bronze, it means Morningstar analysts think highly of a fund and expect it to outperform over a full market cycle of at least five years. The Analyst Rating is not a market call, and it is not meant to replace investors' due-diligence process. It cannot assess whether a fund is the right fit for a particular portfolio and risk tolerance. Morningstar evaluates funds based on five key pillars - Process, Performance, People, Parent, and Price. Analysts assign a rating of Positive, Neutral, or Negative to each pillar. Analyst Rating Scale - Gold: Best of breed fund that distinguishes itself across the five pillars and has garnered the analysts' highest level of conviction. Silver: Fund with advantages that outweigh the disadvantages across the five pillars and with sufficient level of analyst conviction to warrant a positive rating. Bronze: Fund with notable advantages across several, but perhaps not all of the five pillars.
Morningstar is referring to the institutional class of the Baird Short Term Bond Fund. It has an investment minimum of $25,000. To obtain the fund’s prospectus and to access the fund’s performance current to the most recent month end, please visit its page at bairdfunds.com.