Fund Evaluator:

Columbia Total Return Muncpl Inc Inst 3 Overview

Columbia Total Return Muncpl Inc Inst 3 (CTEYX) is an actively managed Municipal Bond Muni National Long fund. Columbia Threadneedle launched the fund in 2017.

The investment seeks total return, consisting of current income exempt from federal income tax and of capital appreciation, consistent with moderate fluctuation of principal. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its total net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds that pay interest exempt from federal income tax (including the federal alternative minimum tax). It invests at least 65% of its total assets in tax-exempt bonds that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality. The fund may invest in bonds of any maturity.

About Columbia Total Return Muncpl Inc Inst 3 (CTEYX)

There are 3 members of the management team with an average tenure of 1.59 years: Shannon Rinehart (2024), Doug Rangel (2025), Travis Bates (2025). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.

The fund has 1 primary benchmark: Bloomberg Municipal TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Columbia Total Return Muncpl Inc Inst 3 has 419 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 10.8% 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.

Columbia Total Return Muncpl Inc Inst 3 is part of the Fixed Income global asset class and is within the Municipal Bond fund group. Columbia Total Return Muncpl Inc Inst 3 has 2.8% 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 99.7% (96.9% domestic bond, 2.8% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Columbia Total Return Muncpl Inc Inst 3 has 0.3% of the portfolio in cash.

Assets Under Management

The fund has $87 million in total assets, which is below the $1 billion average for the Muni National Long 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.

CTEYX 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 Columbia Total Return Muncpl Inc Inst 3 expense ratio is average compared to funds in the Muni National Long category. Columbia Total Return Muncpl Inc Inst 3 has an expense ratio of 0.48%, which is 38% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a B. 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. Columbia Total Return Muncpl Inc Inst 3 has a portfolio turnover rate of 28%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 38% for the Muni National Long category.

Recently, in the month of July 2026, Columbia Total Return Muncpl Inc Inst 3 returned -2.1%, which earned it a grade of F, as the Muni National Long category had an average return of -1.9%. 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.

Columbia Total Return Muncpl Inc Inst 3 has a trailing yield of 4.12%, which is above the 3.72% category average. The fund normally distributes its income monthly.

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.

Columbia Total Return Muncpl Inc Inst 3 Grades

Year to date, the fund has returned 1.1%, 0.3 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of B. The fund has returned 7.6% over the past year (grade of A), 3.7% over the past three years (grade of B) and 0.3% per year over the past five years (grade of B) and 1.9% per year over the past 10 years (grade of C).

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