BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. (DSU) belongs to the Bank Loan category. Below you'll find alternative mutual funds from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with DSU. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to DSU
DSU charges 2.47% annually. There are 62 mutual funds in the Bank Loan category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.41%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federated Hermes Project and Trade Finance Tender ... | 0.41% | — | Jan 2017 | DSU vs XPTFX | |
| Eaton Vance Floating-Rate Advantage Fund | 0.47% | — | Mar 2008 | DSU vs EIFAX | |
| Shenkman Capital Floating Rate High Income Fund | 0.54% | — | Oct 2014 | DSU vs SFHIX | |
| T. Rowe Price Institutional Floating Rate Fund | 0.57% | — | Jan 2008 | DSU vs RPIFX | |
| Lord Abbett Floating Rate Fund | 0.60% | — | Dec 2007 | DSU vs LFRIX |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to DSU
DSU has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 6. There are 53 mutual funds in the Bank Loan category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 100.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RiverPark Floating Rate CMBS Fund | 100 | — | Sep 2016 | DSU vs RCRIX | |
| Calamos Aksia Alternative Credit and Income Fund C... | 98 | — | Jun 2023 | DSU vs CAPIX | |
| Payden Floating Rate Fund | 98 | — | Nov 2013 | DSU vs PYFRX | |
| Virtus Seix Floating Rate High Income Fund | 97 | — | Feb 2006 | DSU vs SAMBX | |
| PGIM Floating Rate Income Fund | 94 | — | Mar 2011 | DSU vs FRFZX |
Top Performing DSU Alternatives (YTD)
DSU is at 0.34% YTD. There are 49 mutual funds in the Bank Loan category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 3.22%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victory Floating Rate Fund | 3.22% | — | Dec 2009 | DSU vs RSFYX | |
| Federated Hermes Project and Trade Finance Tender ... | 2.83% | — | Jan 2017 | DSU vs XPTFX | |
| Virtus Seix Floating Rate High Income Fund | 2.69% | — | Feb 2006 | DSU vs SAMBX | |
| PGIM Floating Rate Income Fund | 2.29% | — | Mar 2011 | DSU vs FRFZX | |
| Calamos Aksia Alternative Credit and Income Fund C... | 2.19% | — | Jun 2023 | DSU vs CAPIX |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to DSU
DSU has 8.12% 1-year volatility. There are 57 mutual funds in the Bank Loan category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.77%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RiverPark Floating Rate CMBS Fund | 0.77% | — | Sep 2016 | DSU vs RCRIX | |
| Payden Floating Rate Fund | 1.23% | — | Nov 2013 | DSU vs PYFRX | |
| BNY Mellon Floating Rate Income Fund | 1.34% | — | Sep 2013 | DSU vs DFLYX | |
| Shenkman Capital Floating Rate High Income Fund | 1.65% | — | Oct 2014 | DSU vs SFHIX | |
| Donoghue Forlines Risk Managed Income Fund | 1.66% | — | Dec 2017 | DSU vs FLOTX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to DSU
DSU has a 1-year max drawdown of -7.21%. There are 57 mutual funds in the Bank Loan category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -0.19%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RiverPark Floating Rate CMBS Fund | -0.19% | — | Sep 2016 | DSU vs RCRIX | |
| Virtus Seix Floating Rate High Income Fund | -0.78% | — | Feb 2006 | DSU vs SAMBX | |
| PGIM Floating Rate Income Fund | -0.85% | — | Mar 2011 | DSU vs FRFZX | |
| Calvert Floating-Rate Advantage Fund | -0.88% | — | Oct 2017 | DSU vs CFOIX | |
| Virtus Newfleet Senior Floating Rate Fund | -0.88% | — | Jan 2008 | DSU vs PSFIX |
Other Mutual Funds from BlackRock
The 10 most viewed BlackRock mutual funds shown here include NASDX, VFAIX, VTMFX and span 10 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $29B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelton Capital Management Nasdaq-100 Index Fund D... | Large Cap Growth Equities | 75 | 21.38% | — | Jan 2000 | DSU vs NASDX | |
| Vanguard Financials Index Fund Admiral Shares | Financials Equities | 4 | -5.08% | 13.70B | Feb 2004 | DSU vs VFAIX | |
| Vanguard Tax-Managed Balanced Fund Admiral Shares | Diversified Portfolio | 81 | 6.03% | 11.90B | Sep 1994 | DSU vs VTMFX | |
| Vanguard Tax-Managed Capital Appreciation Fund Adm... | Large Cap Blend Equities | 70 | 11.31% | 28.60B | Sep 1994 | DSU vs VTCLX | |
| iShares S&P 500 Index Fund | S&P 500 | 73 | 11.69% | — | Jul 1993 | DSU vs WFSPX | |
| BlackRock ESG Capital Allocation Term Trust | Derivative Income, ESG | 28 | 11.23% | — | Sep 2021 | DSU vs ECAT | |
| BlackRock LifePath Index 2055 Fund | Target Retirement Date | 69 | 13.10% | — | May 2011 | DSU vs LIVIX | |
| BlackRock Global Long/Short Equity Fund Class I | Long-Short | 92 | 12.48% | — | Dec 2012 | DSU vs BDMIX | |
| Fidelity Asset Manager 70% Fund | Diversified Portfolio | 77 | 11.93% | — | Dec 1991 | DSU vs FASGX | |
| AlphaSimplex Managed Futures Strategy Fund Class Y | Systematic Trend | 67 | 15.25% | — | Jul 2010 | DSU vs ASFYX |
Often Compared With DSU
Investors most often compare DSU with HYT, CCD, BGT. These 20 comparison targets span 10 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare DSU with Any Fund or Stock
Compare DSU with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair DSU with funds that move differently
BlackRock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to DSU.
Explore DSU Diversifiers