In a no-load fund, what is the relationship between the POP and NAV?

In a no-load mutual fund, the relationship between the Public Offering Price (POP) and the Net Asset Value (NAV) is that they are equal. The POP is the price at which shares of the fund are purchased by investors, and the NAV represents the per-share value of the fund's assets minus its liabilities. Because no-load funds do not charge any fees for sales loads, the price an investor pays to buy into the fund is the same as the value of the underlying assets per share.

This equality is significant because it allows investors to buy shares at a price that reflects the true value of the fund's assets, without any additional costs. In contrast, in funds that do charge a load, the POP would typically be higher than the NAV due to the sales commission included in the purchase price. Understanding this relationship is crucial for investors when evaluating different types of mutual funds and their costs.