ETF Evaluator:
PGIM Total Return Bond ETF ()
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(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Intermediate Core-Plus Bond Over the Last Year
| 8.9% | Infrastructure Capital Bond Income ETF (BNDS) |
| 5.2% | Monarch Ambassador Income ETF (MAMB) |
| 4.1% | SanJac Alpha Core Plus Bond ETF (SJCP) |
| 4.1% | F/m Opportunistic Income ETF (ZHOG) |
| 3.9% | PIMCO Active Bond ETF (BOND) |
Risk
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Risk
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ETF Details
PGIM Total Return Bond ETF Overview
PGIM Total Return Bond ETF (PTRB) is an actively managed Taxable Bond Intermediate Core-Plus Bond exchange-traded fund (ETF). PGIM launched the ETF in 2021.
The investment seeks total return.
The fund seeks to achieve its objective through a mix of current income and capital appreciation. The fund invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its investable assets in bonds. The fund's sub-adviser allocates assets among different debt securities, including (but not limited to) U.S. government securities, mortgage-related and asset-backed securities (including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations), corporate debt securities and foreign debt securities.
About PGIM Total Return Bond ETF (PTRB)
There are 5 members of the management team with an average tenure of 3.93 years: Gregory Peters (2021), Matthew Angelucci (2023), Tyler Thorn (2023), Robert Tipp (2021) and Richard Piccirillo (2021). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 1 primary benchmark: Bloomberg US Agg Bond TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. PGIM Total Return Bond ETF has 1399 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 20.5% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
PGIM Total Return Bond ETF is part of the Fixed Income global asset class and is within the Taxable Bond ETF group. PGIM Total Return Bond ETF has 14.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0% There is 0.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.9% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 101.0% (86.9% domestic bond, 14.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). PGIM Total Return Bond ETF has -1.9% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $1 billion in total assets, which is below the $2 billion average for the Intermediate Core-Plus Bond category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
PTRB Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The PGIM Total Return Bond ETF expense ratio is average compared to funds in the Intermediate Core-Plus Bond category. PGIM Total Return Bond ETF has an expense ratio of 0.49%, which is 12% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a D. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. PGIM Total Return Bond ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 109%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 157% for the Intermediate Core-Plus Bond category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, PGIM Total Return Bond ETF returned -1.4%, which earned it a grade of F, as the Intermediate Core-Plus Bond category had an average return of -1.2%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
PGIM Total Return Bond ETF has a trailing yield of 5.19%, which is above the 4.67% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income monthly and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
PGIM Total Return Bond ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned -0.5%, 0.3 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of D. The fund has returned 3.1% over the past year (grade of C) and 4.6% over the past three years (grade of C).
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PTRB Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| PTRB Return (NAV) | -1.4% | -0.8% | 3.1% | 4.6% | na | na |
| PTRB Return (Price) | -1.4% | -0.9% | 3.1% | 4.6% | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.029% | 0.128% | -0.031% | 0.003% | na | na |
| Intermediate Core-Plus Bond Avg | -1.2% | -0.6% | 3.2% | 4.6% | 0.4% | 2.1% |
| PTRB Grade (NAV) | F | D | C | C | na | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -0.2% | -0.1% | -0.1% | -0.0% | na | na |
| PTRB Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 2.0% | 2.0% | na | na |
PTRB Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| PTRB Return (NAV) | -0.5% | 7.6% | 2.6% | 7.7% | -14.8% | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| PTRB Return (Price) | -0.5% | 7.6% | 2.7% | 7.7% | -14.8% | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.023% | -0.000% | 0.009% | 0.008% | 0.000% | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Intermediate Core-Plus Bond Avg | -0.2% | 7.5% | 3.0% | 6.6% | -13.2% | -0.7% | 8.0% | 9.8% | -0.2% | 4.3% | 4.9% |
| PTRB Grade (NAV) | D | C | C | A | F | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | -0.3% | 0.2% | -0.3% | 1.0% | -1.7% | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 1.02 |
| R-Squared: | 99% |
| Standard Deviation: | 5.8% |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.03 |
| Category Risk Rating: | High |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.47 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Low |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 5.2% |
| Total Assets: | $ 1,126 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 1,126 Mil |
| Turnover: | 109.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.49% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | Bloomberg US Agg Bond TR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Monthly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 5 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 4.7 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 3.9 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Peters Gregory (2021), Tipp Robert (2021), Piccirillo Richard (2021), Angelucci Matthew (2023), Thorn Tyler (2023) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 1399 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 20.5% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 14.0% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.9% |
| Domestic Bond: | 86.9% |
| Foreign Bond: | 14.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | -1.9% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | PGIM |
| Phone Number: | 888-247-8090 |
| Website: | www.pgim.com/investments |
| Inception Date: | December 2, 2021 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.49% (Rating: Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.44% |