Fund Overview
A high quality tool to help investors protect long-term purchasing power
Inflation often appears quickly and unexpectedly, making it important for long-term investors to be prepared in all market environments. PIMCO Real Return Fund aims to help investors protect their purchasing power against the effects of inflation by seeking real (inflation-adjusted) returns primarily from Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS).
Why Invest In This Fund
A high-quality inflation hedge
Because inflation can seriously erode purchasing power over time, inflation-hedging assets such as TIPS should have a place in an investment plan. Active management has helped the fund deliver short- and long-term returns solidly ahead of inflation, while the portfolio’s high quality orientation has provided a smoother ride than other real return assets such as commodities and real estate.
Potential diversification benefits
While traditional asset classes, such as stocks and bonds, usually move inversely to inflation, TIPS tend to move in the same direction as inflation. Investing in assets with low correlations, i.e., influenced by different factors, can enhance a portfolio’s diversification, potentially lowering overall volatility. Like bond investments in general, TIPS can decline in value if interest rates rise, and may be particularly sensitive if real interest rates rise rapidly.
PIMCO’s real return management expertise
The fund was launched the same day as the first TIPS auction and was the first to focus primarily on TIPS. Today, PIMCO remains one of the largest U.S. investors in TIPS and other inflation-linked assets. By drawing on the expertise of our global real return team, the fund is able to take advantage of our macro inflation outlook and bottom-up research capabilities.