MetWest Floating Rate Income Fund

At-A-Glance

Ticker Symbol
Daily NAV
Overall Morningstar RatingTM (I) Class: More Info
Morningstar DisclaimerI Share; Out of 219 funds in the Bank Loan categoryThe Overall Morningstar Rating™ is based on risk adjusted returns, derived from a weighted average of the Fund 3-, 5-, and 10-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics. Please see full Morningstar disclosure at the bottom of this page.
4 star rating
Overall Morningstar RatingTM (M) Class: More Info
Morningstar DisclaimerI Share; Out of 219 funds in the Bank Loan categoryThe Overall Morningstar Rating™ is based on risk adjusted returns, derived from a weighted average of the Fund 3-, 5-, and 10-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics. Please see full Morningstar disclosure at the bottom of this page.
4 star rating

Investment Team

  • Laird R. Landmann
  • Stephen M. Kane, CFA
  • Jerry Cudzil
  null null null
Form N-PX

Proxy Voting Documents

Account Application - MetWest Funds

Fund Name Daily NAV1 Daily1 MTD1 YTD1 3-mo2
Annualized Performance2
1-yr		 3-yr 5-yr 10-yr3 Since Inc3
Expense Ratio
Net		 Gross
MetWest Floating Rate Income Fund I
[Inception Date: 06/28/2013] 		$9.87 0.01% -0.30% 5.83% 0.98% 3.50% 3.89% 3.54% - 3.84% 0.70% 0.71%
MetWest Floating Rate Income Fund M
[Inception Date: 06/28/2013] 		$9.88 0.11% -0.31% 5.66% 1.03% 3.40% 3.68% 3.34% - 3.65% 0.90% 1.03%
S&P/LSTA Leveraged Loan Index - - - - 0.99% 3.10% 4.53% 3.98% - 3.99% - -
S&P/LSTA Leveraged Loan Index - - - - 0.99% 3.10% 4.53% 3.98% - 3.99% - -
1 as of 10/17/19 (updated daily)
2 Performance as of 09/30/2019 (updated monthly)
3 Returns include the performance of the predecessor limited partnership for periods
before the Fund’s registration became effective. The predecessor limited partnership
was not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”) and
therefore was not subject to certain investment restrictions imposed by the 1940 Act.
If the limited partnership had been registered under the 1940 Act, its performance
may have been adversely affected.

Click here for detailed Quarterly/Monthly Performance 

Investment Objective

The Floating Rate Income Fund (the “Fund”) seeks primarily to maximize current income, with a secondary objective of longterm capital appreciation. 

Investment Approach

The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets, which includes borrowings for investment purposes, in floating rate investments and in investments that are the economic equivalent of floating rate investments. We expect the Fund’s portfolio of these investments to produce a floating rate of income over time. These investments may include, but are not limited to, any combination of the following items: (i) senior secured floating rate loans or debt; (ii) second lien or other subordinated or unsecured floating rate loans or debt; (iii) fixed-rate loans or debt, such as corporate bonds, preferred securities, convertible securities, mezzanine investments, collateralized loan obligations, senior loans, second lien loans, structured products and U.S. government debt securities, with respect to which the Fund has entered into derivative instruments that have the effect of converting the fixed-rate interest payments into floating-rate interest payments; and (iv) writing credit derivatives, which would give the Fund exposure to the credit of a single issuer or an index. The market value of written credit derivatives would count toward the 80% test specified above. The Fund may also purchase, without limitation, participations or assignments in senior floating rate loans or second lien floating rate loans. Debt instruments include convertible or preferred securities that produce income.

The portfolio managers may consider many factors in purchasing and selling investments for the Fund, such as a fundamental analysis of the issuer, the credit quality of the issuer and collateral for the investment, capital structure, leverage, operating results for the issuer and the business outlook for the issuer, industry or broader economy.

The Fund’s investments may have any credit quality without limitation, including investments rated below investment grade. Under current market conditions, a substantial portion of the Fund’s portfolio will consist of leveraged loans rated below investment grade or unrated. These investments will have credit risks similar to high yield securities, which are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.”

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in fixed income securities with respect to which the Fund has not entered into derivative instruments to effectively convert the fixed-rate interest payments into floating-rate interest payments. Those fixed income securities may include, but are not limited to, corporate bonds, preferred securities, convertible securities, mezzanine investments, collateralized loan obligations, senior loans, second lien loans, structured products and U.S. government debt securities.

The Fund’s portfolio securities may have any duration or maturity.

The Fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers, including issuers located in emerging markets. Under normal conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in loans and other securities of U.S. issuers or issuers with their primary operations, assets or management activities in the U.S. (including limited purpose controlled affiliates outside of the U.S. that borrow or issue securities primarily for the benefit of their U.S. parent companies or affiliates).

Up to 15% of the Fund’s net assets may be invested in illiquid securities.

The Fund may also invest in companies whose financial condition is uncertain, where the borrower has defaulted in the payment of interest or principal or in the performance of its covenants or agreements, or that may be involved in bankruptcy proceedings, reorganizations or financial restructurings.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in common stocks or other equity securities. In addition, the Fund may acquire and hold those securities (or rights to acquire such securities) in unit offerings with fixed income securities, in connection with an amendment, waiver, conversion or exchange of fixed income securities, in connection with the bankruptcy or workout of a distressed fixed income security, or upon the exercise of a right or warrant obtained on account of a fixed income security. The Fund may buy or sell options or futures on a security or an index of securities, buy or sell options on futures or enter into credit default swaps and interest rate or foreign currency transactions, including swaps and forward contracts (which are commonly known as derivatives). The Fund may use derivatives for hedging purposes, but is not required to do so, as well as to increase the total return on its portfolio investments.

Performance Returns

as of 09/30/2019 (updated monthly)

Sector Value (%)

  Portfolio
Credit 90.42
Cash and Equivalents 9.58
Asset Backed 0.00
Government 0.00
Mortgage Backed 0.00
Other 0.00
as of 9/30/2019 (updated monthly)

Legal Disclosures


The source for all charts and tables above is TCW
About Performance
The performance data presented represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Total returns include reinvestment of dividends and distributions. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data presented. Performance data current to the most recent month end is available on the product detail page for each Fund. Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate with market conditions. The value of an investment in the Fund, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than its original purchase cost.
Net and Gross Expense Ratios
Annual fund operating expenses as stated in the Prospectus dated July 29, 2019.

For MWFRX the total expense ratio is 1.03%, and the net expense ratio is 0.90%. Expenses reflect a contractual agreement by the Adviser to reduce its fees and/or absorb certain expenses to limit the fund’s total annual operating expenses until July 31, 2020, unless terminated earlier by the Board of Trustees. For more information about fees and expenses, please read the prospectus. Performance would have been lower if fees had not been waived in various periods.

For MWFLX the total expense ratio is 0.71%, and the net expense ratio is 0.70%. Expenses reflect a contractual agreement by the Adviser to reduce its fees and/or absorb certain expenses to limit the fund’s total annual operating expenses until July 31, 2020, unless terminated earlier by the Board of Trustees. For more information about fees and expenses, please read the prospectus. Performance would have been lower if fees had not been waived in various periods.

S&P/LSTA Leveraged Loan Index (LLI) – Reflects the market-weighted performance of U.S. dollar-denominated institutional leveraged loan portfolios based upon real-time market weightings, spreads and interest payments.


It is important to note that the Fund is not guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Fixed income investments entail interest rate risk, the risk of issuer default, issuer credit risk, and price volatility risk. Funds investing in bonds can lose their value as interest rates rise and an investor can lose principal.

Floating rate loans entail special risks. The market for floating rate loans may be illiquid, making it difficult for the Fund to determine the true value of a loan, or to sell its interest in a failing loan promptly or at a profitable price. The collateral for secured loans may be insufficient to cover a default, and the Fund may have limited remedies when a borrower defaults. High-yield (unrated or rated below-investment grade) loans and bonds have greater credit risk and more volatility than debt instruments rated investment grade. Loans made to distressed borrowers or to finance leveraged corporate acquisitions may be especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic and market conditions. The risk of loss is even greater for unsecured loans. The Fund’s use of leverage (borrowing) and derivatives may increase the volatility of the Fund’s returns. Although the floating rate loans are intended to provide creditors with protection against rising interest rates, some of the debt securities in which the Fund invests will be subject to interest rate risk and may decline in value when interest rates rise. Foreign securities are subject to special additional risks, such as changing currency values, lack of regulation, and political and economic environments in the countries where the Fund invests. Equity investments entail equity risk and price volatility risk. The value of stocks and other equity securities will change based on changes in a company’s financial condition and in overall market and economic conditions. The value of the Fund’s share price will fluctuate up or down based on the value of the portfolio holdings, which can be affected by these risks.

Morningstar Rating Disclosure: The Morningstar RatingTM for funds, or “star rating”, is calculated for managed products (including mutual funds, variable annuity and variable life subaccounts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, and separate accounts) with at least a three-year history. Exchange-traded funds and open-ended mutual funds are considered a single population for comparative purposes. It is calculated based on a Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return measure that accounts for variation in a managed product’s monthly excess performance, placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance. The top 10% of products in each product category receive 5 stars, the next 22.5% receive 4 stars, the next 35% receive 3 stars, the next 22.5% receive 2 stars, and the bottom 10% receive 1 star. The Overall Morningstar Rating for a managed product is derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five-, and 10-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics. The weights are: 100% three-year rating for 36-59 months of total returns, 60% five-year rating/40% three-year rating for 60-119 months of total returns, and 50% 10-year rating/30% five-year rating/20% three-year rating for 120 or more months of total returns. While the 10-year overall star rating formula seems to give the most weight to the 10-year period, the most recent three-year period actually has the greatest impact because it is included in all three rating periods.

The total number of Bank Loan Funds for the 3- and 5-year time periods were 219 and 197, respectively. The MetWest Floating Rate Income Fund I Share received a rating of 3 stars for the 3-year period, and 4 stars for the 5-year period.
Obtain a Prospectus

You should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of a mutual fund carefully before investing. A Fund’s Prospectus and Summary Prospectus contain this and other information about the Fund. To receive a Prospectus, please call 800-241-4671 or you may download the Prospectus. Please read it carefully.


The MetWest Funds are distributed by TCW Funds Distributors LLC.

The MetWest Funds are advised by Metropolitan West Asset Management, LLC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The TCW Group, Inc.

Proxy Voting
MetWest Proxy Voting Policy

Investment Team

  • Photo: Laird R. Landmann
    Laird R. Landmann
    Group Managing Director

    Mr. Landmann is a Generalist Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Group. He joined TCW in 2009 during the acquisition of Metropolitan West Asset Management LLC (MetWest). Mr. Landmann currently serves on the boards of the TCW and Metropolitan West Mutual Funds. Mr. Landmann currently co-manages many of TCW and MetWest’s mutual funds, including the MetWest Total Return Bond Fund, the MetWest High Yield Bond Fund and the TCW Core Fixed Income Fund, and leads the fixed income group’s risk management efforts. He is a leader of the MetWest investment team that was recognized as Morningstar’s Fixed Income Manager of the Year for 2005 and has been nominated for the award eight times. Prior to founding MetWest in 1996, Mr. Landmann was a principal and the co-director of fixed income at Hotchkis and Wiley. He also served as a portfolio manager and vice president at PIMCO. Mr. Landmann holds an AB in Economics from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

  • Photo: Stephen M. Kane, CFA
    Stephen M. Kane, CFA
    Group Managing Director

    Mr. Kane is a Generalist Portfolio Manager in TCW’s Fixed Income Group, a team that oversees over $170 billion in fixed income assets including the $70+ billion MetWest Total Return Bond Fund, one of largest actively managed bond funds in the world. Under his co-leadership, the MetWest investment team was recognized as Morningstar’s Fixed Income Manager of the Year for 2005. Mr. Kane has led the effort to launch a number of fixed income products, including AlphaTrak, Long Duration/LDI, Unconstrained, and Global. Prior to establishing MetWest, he was a fixed income portfolio manager at Hotchkis and Wiley. He also served as a Vice President at PIMCO. Mr. Kane earned a BS in Business from the University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is a CFA charterholder.

  • Photo: Jerry Cudzil
    Jerry Cudzil
    Managing Director

    Mr. Cudzil is a Specialist Portfolio Manager and head of Credit Trading. He oversees the Fixed Income group’s trading of investment grade corporate bonds, high yield bonds, leveraged loans and credit derivatives. Prior to joining TCW in 2012, Mr. Cudzil was a High Yield Bond Trader for Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank, specializing in project finance, aviation, and energy securities. He was previously a Portfolio Manager for Dimaio Ahmad Capital, managing the multi-strategy credit fund and aviation fund and leading the firm’s risk management team. Mr. Cudzil began his career as a Corporate Bond Trader for Prudential Securities and has also traded investment grade and high yield debt for Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs. Mr. Cudzil earned a BA in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

News & Commentary

Documents