Fund Evaluator:
Frost Total Return Bond Inst (FIJEX)
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Best Performing in Intermediate Core-Plus Bond Over the Last Year
| 4.1% | Diamond Hill Core Plus Bond Y (DHNYX) |
| 3.9% | Diamond Hill Core Plus Bond I (DHNIX) |
| 3.7% | Diamond Hill Core Plus Bond Investor (DHNAX) |
| 3.5% | Weitz Core Plus Income Investor (WCPNX) |
| 3.4% | Nuveen Core Plus Bond I (TCBHX) |
Fund Details
Frost Total Return Bond Inst Overview
Frost Total Return Bond Inst (FIJEX) is an actively managed Taxable Bond Intermediate Core-Plus Bond fund. Frost Funds launched the fund in 2008.
The investment seeks to maximize total return, consisting of income and capital appreciation, consistent with the preservation of principal. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in fixed income securities. The advisor actively manages the duration of the fund and purchases securities such that the average weighted duration of the fund's portfolio will typically range within plus or minus four years of the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, the fund’s benchmark.
About Frost Total Return Bond Inst (FIJEX)
There are 1 members of the management team with an average tenure of 18.28 years: Jeffery Elswick (2008). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.
The fund has 1 primary benchmark: Bloomberg US Agg Bond TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Frost Total Return Bond Inst has 337 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 25.5% 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.
Frost Total Return Bond Inst is part of the Fixed Income global asset class and is within the Taxable Bond fund group. Frost Total Return Bond Inst has 7.8% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0%. There is 1.4% allocated to foreign stock, and 2.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 94.9% (88.6% domestic bond, 6.3% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Frost Total Return Bond Inst has 1.7% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $3 billion in total assets, which is above the $1 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.
FIJEX 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 Frost Total Return Bond Inst expense ratio is average compared to funds in the Intermediate Core-Plus Bond category. Frost Total Return Bond Inst has an expense ratio of 0.46%, which is 41% 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. Frost Total Return Bond Inst has a portfolio turnover rate of 66%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 181% for the Intermediate Core-Plus Bond category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Frost Total Return Bond Inst returned -1.0%, which earned it a grade of A, as the Intermediate Core-Plus Bond category had an average return of -1.3%. 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.
Frost Total Return Bond Inst has a trailing yield of 5.88%, which is above the 4.36% 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.
Frost Total Return Bond Inst Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 0.4%, 1.0 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of A. The fund has returned 3.0% over the past year (grade of B), 5.8% over the past three years (grade of A) and 3.2% per year over the past five years (grade of A) and 3.4% per year over the past 10 years (grade of A).
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FIJEX 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 |
|
| FIJEX Return (NAV) | -1.0% | -0.4% | 3.0% | 5.8% | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| FIJEX Grade | A | A | B | A | A | A |
| +/- Category | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1.6% | 3.3% | 1.5% |
| Intermediate Core-Plus Bond Avg | -1.3% | -0.7% | 2.7% | 4.2% | -0.2% | 1.8% |
| FIJEX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 2.3% | 2.2% | 2.1% | 1.8% |
FIJEX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| FIJEX Return (NAV) | 0.4% | 5.8% | 6.4% | 8.6% | -5.3% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 5.4% | 1.4% | 4.4% | 5.7% |
| FIJEX Grade | A | F | A | A | A | A | F | F | A | C | A |
| +/- Category | 1.0% | -1.6% | 4.2% | 2.5% | 8.1% | 4.0% | -5.1% | -3.8% | 2.3% | -0.0% | 1.4% |
| Intermediate Core-Plus Bond Avg | -0.6% | 7.3% | 2.3% | 6.1% | -13.4% | -0.6% | 8.6% | 9.1% | -0.9% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 4.4% |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.35 - Low |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.77 - Low |
| Category Risk Grade: | A (4% Rank) |
| Beta: | 0.72 |
| R-Squared: | 89% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | na |
| Bond Investment Style: | High Quality Moderate Sensitivity |
| Yield: | 5.9% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Monthly |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | Annually |
| Total Assets: | $4156 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $3,912 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | Inst |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 66% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 1 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 18.3 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 18.3 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Elswick Jeffery (2008) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 337 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 25.5% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 7.8% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 1.4% |
| Preferred Stock: | 2.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 88.6% |
| Foreign Bond: | 6.3% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 1.7% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | Frost Funds |
| Phone Number: | 877-713-7678 |
| Website: |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | April 25, 2008 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $1,000,000 |
| 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 (%): | 0.46% ( Rating : Avg ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.78% |
| Share Class: | Frost Total Return Bond Inst |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 0 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
