Western Asset Core Bond Fund (WATFX) belongs to the Intermediate Core Bond category. Below you'll find alternative mutual funds from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with WATFX. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to WATFX
WATFX charges 0.46% annually. There are 49 mutual funds in the Intermediate Core Bond category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.02%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federated Hermes Mortgage Strategy Portfolio | 0.02% | — | Dec 2007 | WATFX vs FMBPX | |
| State Street Aggregate Bond Index Portfolio | 0.02% | — | Sep 2014 | WATFX vs SSAFX | |
| Fisher Investments Institutional Group Fixed Incom... | 0.03% | — | Dec 2019 | WATFX vs QDIBX | |
| Fisher Investments Institutional Group ESG Fixed I... | 0.04% | — | Dec 2019 | WATFX vs QDVBX | |
| iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index Fund | 0.05% | — | Jul 1993 | WATFX vs WFBIX |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to WATFX
WATFX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 17. There are 72 mutual funds in the Intermediate Core Bond category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 61.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond Fund | 61 | — | Oct 2011 | WATFX vs STWTX | |
| Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund | 59 | — | Mar 2006 | WATFX vs LSSAX | |
| PACE Mortgage-Backed Securities Fixed Income Inves... | 55 | — | Aug 1995 | WATFX vs PCGTX | |
| Manning & Napier Credit Series | 44 | — | Apr 2020 | WATFX vs MCDWX | |
| DFA Diversified Fixed Income Portfolio | 39 | — | Aug 2016 | WATFX vs DFXIX |
Top Performing WATFX Alternatives (YTD)
WATFX is at -0.45% YTD. There are 99 mutual funds in the Intermediate Core Bond category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 2.72%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PACE Mortgage-Backed Securities Fixed Income Inves... | 2.72% | — | Aug 1995 | WATFX vs PCGTX | |
| Loomis Sayles Securitized Asset Fund | 1.20% | — | Mar 2006 | WATFX vs LSSAX | |
| Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond Fund | 1.08% | — | Oct 2011 | WATFX vs STWTX | |
| DFA Diversified Fixed Income Portfolio | 0.77% | — | Aug 2016 | WATFX vs DFXIX | |
| Fidelity SAI Investment Grade Securitized Fund | 0.76% | — | May 2023 | WATFX vs FSMOX |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to WATFX
WATFX has 4.03% 1-year volatility. There are 84 mutual funds in the Intermediate Core Bond category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 2.47%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Education Income Fund | 2.47% | — | Mar 2021 | WATFX vs FEDUX | |
| Baird Intermediate Bond Fund | 2.49% | — | Sep 2000 | WATFX vs BIMSX | |
| Baird Intermediate Bond Fund Class Institutional | 2.50% | — | Sep 2000 | WATFX vs BIMIX | |
| DFA Diversified Fixed Income Portfolio | 2.63% | — | Aug 2016 | WATFX vs DFXIX | |
| Johnson Institutional Intermediate Bond Fund | 2.73% | — | Aug 2000 | WATFX vs JIBEX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to WATFX
WATFX has a 1-year max drawdown of -3.04%. There are 61 mutual funds in the Intermediate Core Bond category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -1.69%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFA Diversified Fixed Income Portfolio | -1.69% | — | Aug 2016 | WATFX vs DFXIX | |
| Fidelity Education Income Fund | -1.72% | — | Mar 2021 | WATFX vs FEDUX | |
| Baird Intermediate Bond Fund | -1.87% | — | Sep 2000 | WATFX vs BIMSX | |
| Baird Intermediate Bond Fund Class Institutional | -2.07% | — | Sep 2000 | WATFX vs BIMIX | |
| Fidelity Intermediate Bond Fund | -2.11% | — | May 1975 | WATFX vs FTHRX |
Other Mutual Funds from Franklin Templeton
The 10 most viewed Franklin Templeton mutual funds shown here include FKDNX, FKRCX, FKINX and span 9 categories.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin DynaTech Fund | Large Cap Growth Equities, Technology Equities | 17 | 9.66% | — | Jan 1968 | WATFX vs FKDNX | |
| Franklin Gold and Precious Metals Fund | Gold, Precious Metals | 34 | -8.99% | — | May 1969 | WATFX vs FKRCX | |
| Franklin Income Fund Class A1 | Diversified Portfolio | 80 | 5.21% | — | — | WATFX vs FKINX | |
| Franklin Growth Fund | Large Cap Growth Equities | 23 | 6.65% | — | Apr 1948 | WATFX vs FKGRX | |
| ClearBridge Energy Midstream Opportunity Fund | MLPs, Energy Equities | 34 | 20.75% | — | Jun 2011 | WATFX vs EMO | |
| Franklin Rising Dividends Fund | Large Cap Blend Equities | 28 | 6.78% | — | Jan 1987 | WATFX vs FRDPX | |
| ClearBridge Large Cap Growth Fund | Large Cap Growth Equities | 8 | 4.70% | — | Aug 1997 | WATFX vs SBLGX | |
| Franklin Income Fund Advisor Class | Diversified Portfolio | 86 | 5.36% | — | Aug 1997 | WATFX vs FRIAX | |
| ClearBridge Aggressive Growth Fund | Large Cap Blend Equities | 8 | 3.59% | — | Oct 1983 | WATFX vs SHRAX | |
| Templeton Institutional Fund International Equity ... | Foreign Large Cap Equities | 43 | 15.10% | — | Oct 1990 | WATFX vs TFEQX |
Often Compared With WATFX
Investors most often compare WATFX with FDFAX, PIMIX, AGG. These 20 comparison targets span 9 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare WATFX with Any Fund or Stock
Compare WATFX with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair WATFX with funds that move differently
Western Asset Core Bond Fund alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to WATFX.
Explore WATFX Diversifiers