As mentioned, better-than-expected earnings could continue to spark inflation fears and thus substantiate the case for TIP as part of a fixed income investor's portfolio. A better-than-expected earnings showing in the first quarter of 2021 could cause yields and inflation to rise, adding to the case for the iShares TIPS Bond ETF (TIP). TIP seeks to track the investment results of Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) Index (Series-L), which is composed of inflation-protected U.S. Treasury bonds.