What this ETF is trying to do

The STATE STREET(R) SPDR(R) BLOOMBERG 1-10 YEAR TIPS ETF (TIPX) is an exchange-traded fund. It focuses on TIPS, which are Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities. These are government bonds designed to help protect the value of an investment from inflation.

What the numbers show

As of September 18, 2026, the share price was $18.33. To understand how the price has changed, we can look at the price return and the total return.

• Price Return: This measures only the change in the share price. The one-year price return was -5.17%, and the year-to-date (YTD) price return was -3.93%.

• Total Return: This reflects the overall return, including the cash distributions paid to investors. The one-year total return was -0.25%, and the YTD total return was -0.20%.

For a simple example, if you had invested $10,000 based on the estimated price from roughly one year ago ($19.33), the price-only decline of -5.17% would mean the value of those shares alone would be approximately $9,483.

Over a longer period, the three-year price return was 0.44%, while the three-year total return was 13.35%.

Income and distribution explanation

TIPX pays out cash to investors. It usually does this monthly, with 10 payouts in the last 12 months. The distribution yield is 5.26%.

It is important for beginners to know that a high distribution yield alone can be misleading. A fund can pay a high yield even if the share price is falling. While distributions provide cash income, they do not guarantee that the original money invested (the principal) will stay the same.

NAV erosion explanation

"NAV erosion" happens when the net asset value of a fund declines over time. StockValueFinder uses an erosion-risk score to measure this. TIPX has an erosion score of 75, which is labeled as "Mild price erosion." This is a measurement of risk, not a guarantee that the fund's value has collapsed.

Pros

• Provides regular monthly cash distributions.

• Positive total returns over the three-year (13.35%) and five-year (7.51%) periods.

Cons

• The share price has declined over the last year and year-to-date.

• It has a "mild" erosion-risk rating.

Beginner takeaway

TIPX provides income through monthly distributions, but its share price has recently gone down. When looking at this ETF, it is important to distinguish between the price return (the share price movement) and the total return (which includes the cash paid out). Income investors generally care about principal stability to ensure their original investment stays intact while they collect payments.