Vanguard Multi-Sector Income Bond Fund Admiral Shares (VMSAX) belongs to the Multisector Bonds category. Below you'll find alternative mutual funds from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with VMSAX. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to VMSAX
VMSAX charges 0.30% annually. There is 1 mutual fund in the Multisector Bonds category with a lower expense ratio, going as low as 0.05%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doubleline Selective Credit Fund | 0.05% | — | Aug 2014 | VMSAX vs DBSCX | |
| JPMorgan Income Fund | 0.40% | — | Jun 2014 | VMSAX vs JMSIX | |
| Boyd Watterson Limited Duration Enhanced Income Fu... | 0.40% | — | Jul 2016 | VMSAX vs BWDTX | |
| Mercer Opportunistic Fixed Income Fund | 0.44% | — | Aug 2013 | VMSAX vs MOFIX | |
| Vanguard Multi-Sector Income Bond Inv | 0.45% | — | Oct 2021 | VMSAX vs VMSIX |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to VMSAX
VMSAX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 25. There are 71 mutual funds in the Multisector Bonds category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 99.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide Amundi Strategic Income Fund | 99 | — | Nov 2015 | VMSAX vs NWXHX | |
| Nationwide Strategic Income A | 99 | — | Nov 2015 | VMSAX vs NWXEX | |
| Boyd Watterson Limited Duration Enhanced Income Fu... | 98 | — | Jul 2016 | VMSAX vs BWDTX | |
| Rational Special Situations Income Fund | 98 | — | Jul 2019 | VMSAX vs RFXIX | |
| CrossingBridge Low Duration High Yield Fund | 97 | — | Jan 2018 | VMSAX vs CBLDX |
Top Performing VMSAX Alternatives (YTD)
VMSAX is at 1.19% YTD. There are 31 mutual funds in the Multisector Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 3.16%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| abrdn Income Credit Strategies Fund | 3.16% | — | Jan 2011 | VMSAX vs ACP | |
| BrandywineGLOBAL - Flexible Bond Fund | 2.93% | — | May 2016 | VMSAX vs LFLIX | |
| Nationwide Amundi Strategic Income Fund | 2.37% | — | Nov 2015 | VMSAX vs NWXHX | |
| Eaton Vance Strategic Income Fund Class I | 2.34% | — | Jan 1998 | VMSAX vs ETSIX | |
| Eaton Vance Strategic Income Fund Class I | 2.33% | — | Apr 2009 | VMSAX vs ESIIX |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to VMSAX
VMSAX has 133.32% 1-year volatility. There are 90 mutual funds in the Multisector Bonds category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 1.18%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide Amundi Strategic Income Fund | 1.18% | — | Nov 2015 | VMSAX vs NWXHX | |
| Nationwide Strategic Income A | 1.22% | — | Nov 2015 | VMSAX vs NWXEX | |
| Boyd Watterson Limited Duration Enhanced Income Fu... | 1.31% | — | Jul 2016 | VMSAX vs BWDTX | |
| CrossingBridge Low Duration High Yield Fund | 1.40% | — | Jan 2018 | VMSAX vs CBLDX | |
| Rational Special Situations Income Fund | 1.40% | — | Jul 2019 | VMSAX vs RFXIX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to VMSAX
VMSAX has a 1-year max drawdown of -54.84%. There are 90 mutual funds in the Multisector Bonds category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -0.41%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide Amundi Strategic Income Fund | -0.41% | — | Nov 2015 | VMSAX vs NWXHX | |
| Nationwide Strategic Income A | -0.43% | — | Nov 2015 | VMSAX vs NWXEX | |
| Rational Special Situations Income Fund | -0.72% | — | Jul 2019 | VMSAX vs RFXIX | |
| CrossingBridge Low Duration High Yield Fund | -0.73% | — | Jan 2018 | VMSAX vs CBLDX | |
| Boyd Watterson Limited Duration Enhanced Income Fu... | -1.00% | — | Jul 2016 | VMSAX vs BWDTX |
Other Mutual Funds from Vanguard
The 10 most viewed Vanguard mutual funds shown here include VTSAX, VFIAX, VTIAX and span 8 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $2T.
Often Compared With VMSAX
Investors most often compare VMSAX with PIMIX, JSVIX, LSFIX. These 20 comparison targets span 5 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare VMSAX with Any Fund or Stock
Compare VMSAX with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair VMSAX with funds that move differently
Vanguard Multi-Sector Income Bond Fund Admiral Shares alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to VMSAX.
Explore VMSAX Diversifiers