Fund Evaluator:
Virtus Seix Core Bond R6 (STGZX)
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Fund Details
Virtus Seix Core Bond R6 Overview
Virtus Seix Core Bond R6 (STGZX) is an actively managed Taxable Bond Intermediate Core Bond fund. Virtus launched the fund in 2015.
The investment seeks to maximize long term total return through a combination of current income and capital appreciation, consistent with capital preservation. The fund invests in various types of income-producing debt instruments including mortgage- and asset-backed securities, government and agency obligations, and corporate obligations. It may invest in debt obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers, including investment grade rated emerging market debt. The fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in investment grade fixed income securities.
About Virtus Seix Core Bond R6 (STGZX)
There are 4 members of the management team with an average tenure of 15.67 years: Michael Rieger (2007), Carlos Catoya (2015), Jonathan Yozzo (2015), Perry Troisi (2004). 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%. Virtus Seix Core Bond R6 has 149 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 52.3% 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.
Virtus Seix Core Bond R6 is part of the Fixed Income global asset class and is within the Taxable Bond fund group. Virtus Seix Core Bond R6 has 2.2% 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 0.5% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 98.6% (96.4% domestic bond, 2.2% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Virtus Seix Core Bond R6 has 0.9% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $85 million in total assets, which is below the $3 billion average for the Intermediate Core 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.
STGZX 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 Virtus Seix Core Bond R6 expense ratio is below average compared to funds in the Intermediate Core Bond category. Virtus Seix Core Bond R6 has an expense ratio of 0.36%, which is 37% 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. Virtus Seix Core Bond R6 has a portfolio turnover rate of 173%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 151% for the Intermediate Core Bond category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Virtus Seix Core Bond R6 returned -1.3%, which earned it a grade of B, as the Intermediate Core 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.
Virtus Seix Core Bond R6 has a trailing yield of 4.49%, which is above the 4.04% category average. The fund normally distributes its income monthly and its capital gains quarterly.
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.
Virtus Seix Core Bond R6 Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned -0.8%, 0.0 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of C. The fund has returned 2.4% over the past year (grade of D), 3.4% over the past three years (grade of D) and -0.7% per year over the past five years (grade of D) and 1.3% per year over the past 10 years (grade of C).
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STGZX 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 |
|
| STGZX Return (NAV) | -1.3% | -0.8% | 2.4% | 3.4% | -0.7% | 1.3% |
| STGZX Grade | B | C | D | D | D | C |
| +/- Category | 0.0% | -0.0% | -0.1% | -0.3% | -0.2% | -0.1% |
| Intermediate Core Bond Avg | -1.3% | -0.8% | 2.5% | 3.7% | -0.5% | 1.4% |
| STGZX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 1.8% | 1.7% | 1.5% | 1.3% |
STGZX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| STGZX Return (NAV) | -0.8% | 6.8% | 1.2% | 5.3% | -13.6% | -1.2% | 9.3% | 7.8% | -0.0% | 3.2% | 3.3% |
| STGZX Grade | C | D | D | D | C | B | A | D | B | D | A |
| +/- Category | -0.0% | -0.3% | -0.4% | -0.4% | -0.4% | 0.2% | 1.2% | -0.7% | 0.4% | -0.4% | 0.5% |
| Intermediate Core Bond Avg | -0.7% | 7.0% | 1.6% | 5.6% | -13.2% | -1.5% | 8.1% | 8.5% | -0.4% | 3.6% | 2.8% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 5.5% |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.45 - Low |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.99 - Below Average |
| Category Risk Grade: | B (33% Rank) |
| Beta: | 0.98 |
| R-Squared: | 100% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | na |
| Bond Investment Style: | na |
| Yield: | 4.5% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Monthly |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | Quarterly |
| Total Assets: | $110 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $ 85 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | Retirement |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 173% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 4 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 22.1 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 15.7 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Troisi Perry (2004), Rieger Michael (2007), Catoya Carlos (2015), Yozzo Jonathan (2015) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 149 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 52.3% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 2.2% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.5% |
| Domestic Bond: | 96.4% |
| Foreign Bond: | 2.2% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.9% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | Virtus |
| Phone Number: | 800-243-1574 |
| Website: | www.virtus.com |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | August 3, 2015 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $ 0 |
| 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 (%): | 0.36% ( Rating : Below Avg ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.57% |
| Share Class: | Virtus Seix Core Bond A |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 0 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
