Fund Evaluator:
American Century IntermTrm Tx-Fr Bd I (AXBIX)Best Performing in Muni National Interm Over the Last Year
| 8.4% | Sit Tax-Free Income (SNTIX) |
| 5.6% | Putnam Strategic Intermediate Muncpl Y (PAMYX) |
| 5.5% | Goldman Sachs Dynamic Municipal Inc Inv (GUIRX) |
| 5.3% | Victory Tax Exempt Intermediate-Term (USATX) |
| 5.2% | Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Admiral (VTEAX) |
Fund Details
American Century IntermTrm Tx-Fr Bd I Overview
American Century IntermTrm Tx-Fr Bd I (AXBIX) is an actively managed Municipal Bond Muni National Interm fund. American Century Investments launched the fund in 2003.
The investment seeks safety of principal and high current income that is exempt from federal income tax. The fund primarily invests in investment-grade debt securities and, under normal market conditions, will invest at least 80% of its net assets in debt securities with interest payments exempt from federal income tax. The fund's weighted average maturity will be not less than three years nor more than ten years. However, there is no maturity limit on individual securities. The portfolio managers also may buy investment-grade debt securities with interest payments exempt from regular federal income tax, but not exempt from the federal alternative minimum tax.
About American Century IntermTrm Tx-Fr Bd I (AXBIX)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 19.06 years: Alan Kruss (2006), Joseph Gotelli (2008). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.
The fund has 2 primary benchmarks: S&P National AMT Free Muni TR USD index with a weighting of 100% and S&P Interm National AMT Free Muni TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. American Century IntermTrm Tx-Fr Bd I has 1842 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 5.7% of the fund’s assets. The fund meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The fund is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
American Century IntermTrm Tx-Fr Bd I is part of the Fixed Income global asset class and is within the Municipal Bond fund group. American Century IntermTrm Tx-Fr Bd I has 0.7% 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 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 99.8% (99.1% domestic bond, 0.7% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). American Century IntermTrm Tx-Fr Bd I has 0.2% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $2 billion in total assets, which is above the $1 billion average for the Muni National Interm 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.
AXBIX 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 American Century IntermTrm Tx-Fr Bd I expense ratio is below average compared to funds in the Muni National Interm category. American Century IntermTrm Tx-Fr Bd I has an expense ratio of 0.26%, which is 62% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a A. 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. American Century IntermTrm Tx-Fr Bd I has a portfolio turnover rate of 38%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 39% for the Muni National Interm category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, American Century IntermTrm Tx-Fr Bd I returned -1.5%, which earned it a grade of C, as the Muni National Interm category had an average return of -1.6%. 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 funds in that category.
American Century IntermTrm Tx-Fr Bd I has a trailing yield of 3.62%, which is above the 3.27% 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.
American Century IntermTrm Tx-Fr Bd I Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 0.4%, 0.0 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of C. The fund has returned 4.8% over the past year (grade of B), 3.4% over the past three years (grade of B) and 0.8% per year over the past five years (grade of B) and 2.0% per year over the past 10 years (grade of B).
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AXBIX 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 |
|
| AXBIX Return (NAV) | -1.5% | -0.5% | 4.8% | 3.4% | 0.8% | 2.0% |
| AXBIX Grade | C | C | B | B | B | B |
| +/- Category | 0.0% | -0.0% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Muni National Interm Avg | -1.6% | -0.5% | 4.6% | 3.2% | 0.6% | 1.7% |
| AXBIX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
AXBIX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| AXBIX Return (NAV) | 0.4% | 4.7% | 1.8% | 5.6% | -7.7% | 2.2% | 4.9% | 7.0% | 1.1% | 5.0% | -0.2% |
| AXBIX Grade | C | B | C | C | C | B | A | C | B | B | C |
| +/- Category | -0.0% | 0.5% | -0.1% | -0.1% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| Muni National Interm Avg | 0.4% | 4.2% | 2.0% | 5.8% | -8.2% | 1.7% | 4.3% | 6.7% | 0.8% | 4.7% | -0.2% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 4.8% |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.39 - Low |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.01 - Above Average |
| Category Risk Grade: | D (62% Rank) |
| Beta: | 0.84 |
| R-Squared: | 99% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | na |
| Bond Investment Style: | High Quality Moderate Sensitivity |
| Yield: | 3.6% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Monthly |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | Annually |
| Total Assets: | $5303 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $2,206 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | Inst |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 38% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 20.3 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 19.1 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Kruss Alan (2006), Gotelli Joseph (2008) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 1842 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 5.7% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 0.7% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 99.1% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.7% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.2% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | American Century Investments |
| Phone Number: | 800-345-2021 |
| Website: | www.americancentury.com |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | April 15, 2003 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $5,000,000 |
| Min. Initial IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
| True No-Load: | Yes |
| Front Load Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Deferred Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Redemption Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| 12b-1 Fee: | na |
Expenses and Fees | |
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.26% ( Rating : Below Avg ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.68% |
| Share Class: | American Century IntermTrm Tx-Fr Bd Inv |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 50 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |