Fund Evaluator:
PGIM Balanced A (PIBAX)
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Best Performing in Moderate Allocation Over the Last Year
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Fund Details
PGIM Balanced A Overview
PGIM Balanced A (PIBAX) is an actively managed Allocation Moderate Allocation fund. PGIM launched the fund in 1996.
The investment seeks income and long-term growth of capital. The fund invests in a portfolio of equity, fixed-income and money market securities that is actively managed to capitalize on opportunities created by perceived misvaluation. It will invest 45% to 70% of its total assets in equity and equity-related securities. Under normal circumstances, 30% to 55% of the fund's total assets are invested in fixed income securities. It may invest up to 15% of its total assets in equity and equity-related securities of small companies.
About PGIM Balanced A (PIBAX)
There are 9 members of the management team with an average tenure of 10.07 years: Stacie Mintz (2005), Joel Kallman (2009), Gregory Peters (2014), Edward Lithgow (2014), Marco Aiolfi (2022), Matthew Angelucci (2023), Tyler Thorn (2023), Robert Tipp (2020), Richard Piccirillo (2013). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.
The fund has 2 primary benchmarks: S&P 500 (TR) (1970) index with a weighting of 100% and Bloomberg US Agg Bond TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. PGIM Balanced A has 1987 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 18.0% 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.
PGIM Balanced A is part of the Allocation global asset class and is within the Allocation fund group. PGIM Balanced A has 18.3% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 48.0%. There is 11.7% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.3% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 38.6% (32.0% domestic bond, 6.6% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). PGIM Balanced A has 1.5% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $759 million in total assets, which is below the $2 billion average for the Moderate Allocation 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.
PIBAX 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 Balanced A expense ratio is high compared to funds in the Moderate Allocation category. PGIM Balanced A has an expense ratio of 1.00%, which is 1% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a C. 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 Balanced A has a portfolio turnover rate of 107%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 52% for the Moderate Allocation category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, PGIM Balanced A returned -0.9%, which earned it a grade of D, as the Moderate Allocation category had an average return of -0.3%. 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.
PGIM Balanced A has a trailing yield of 1.78%, which is below the 1.97% category average. The fund normally distributes its income quarterly 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 Balanced A Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 6.5%, 0.1 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of C. The fund has returned 15.0% over the past year (grade of B), 13.3% over the past three years (grade of B) and 7.1% per year over the past five years (grade of B) and 8.3% per year over the past 10 years (grade of C).
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PIBAX 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 |
|
| PIBAX Return (NAV) | -0.9% | 1.8% | 15.0% | 13.3% | 7.1% | 8.3% |
| PIBAX Grade | D | D | B | B | B | C |
| +/- Category | -0.6% | -0.3% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 0.4% | -0.2% |
| Moderate Allocation Avg | -0.3% | 2.1% | 13.1% | 12.0% | 6.6% | 8.5% |
| PIBAX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 2.5% | 1.9% | 2.0% | 1.7% |
PIBAX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| PIBAX Return (NAV) | 6.5% | 15.6% | 13.1% | 16.8% | -16.2% | 14.4% | 9.0% | 19.2% | -5.4% | 14.0% | 7.8% |
| PIBAX Grade | C | B | B | B | D | C | D | D | D | C | C |
| +/- Category | 0.1% | 2.2% | 0.9% | 2.5% | -2.2% | 0.0% | -4.0% | -0.6% | -0.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Moderate Allocation Avg | 6.4% | 13.4% | 12.2% | 14.3% | -14.0% | 14.4% | 12.9% | 19.8% | -5.1% | 13.8% | 7.7% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 9.5% |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.77 - Below Average |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.03 - Above Average |
| Category Risk Grade: | D (70% Rank) |
| Beta: | 0.97 |
| R-Squared: | 93% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | Large-Cap Blend |
| Bond Investment Style: | High Quality Moderate Sensitivity |
| Yield: | 1.8% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Quarterly |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | Annually |
| Total Assets: | $1065 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $ 759 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | A |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 107% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 9 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 20.9 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 10.1 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Mintz Stacie (2005), Kallman Joel (2009), Piccirillo Richard (2013), Peters Gregory (2014), Lithgow Edward (2014), Tipp Robert (2020), Aiolfi Marco (2022), Angelucci Matthew (2023), Thorn Tyler (2023) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 1987 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 18.0% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 18.3% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 48.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 11.7% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.3% |
| Domestic Bond: | 32.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 6.6% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 1.5% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | PGIM |
| Phone Number: | 800-225-1852 |
| Website: | www.prudentialfunds.com |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | November 7, 1996 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $1,000 |
| Min. Initial IRA Purchase: | $1,000 |
| True No-Load: | No |
| Front Load Maximum: | 3.25% |
| Deferred Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Redemption Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| 12b-1 Fee: | 0.30% |
Expenses and Fees | |
| Expense Ratio (%): | 1.00% ( Rating : High ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.99% |
| Share Class: | PGIM Balanced Z |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 100 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 100 |
