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 61 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 5. There are 58 mutual funds in the Bank Loan category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 100.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund Class I Shares | 100 | — | Jun 2019 | DSU vs CCLFX | |
| RiverPark Floating Rate CMBS Fund | 100 | — | Sep 2016 | DSU vs RCRIX | |
| Calamos Aksia Alternative Credit and Income Fund C... | 99 | — | Jun 2023 | DSU vs CAPIX | |
| Payden Floating Rate Fund | 98 | — | Nov 2013 | DSU vs PYFRX | |
| Virtus Seix Floating Rate High Income Fund | 98 | — | Feb 2006 | DSU vs SAMBX |
Top Performing DSU Alternatives (YTD)
DSU is at -0.75% YTD. There are 59 mutual funds in the Bank Loan category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 3.95%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federated Hermes Project and Trade Finance Tender ... | 3.95% | — | Jan 2017 | DSU vs XPTFX | |
| Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund Class I Shares | 3.28% | — | Jun 2019 | DSU vs CCLFX | |
| BlackRock Floating Rate Income Trust | 3.20% | — | Aug 2004 | DSU vs BGT | |
| Calamos Aksia Alternative Credit and Income Fund C... | 3.16% | — | Jun 2023 | DSU vs CAPIX | |
| Victory Floating Rate Fund | 2.96% | — | Dec 2009 | DSU vs RSFYX |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to DSU
DSU has 8.30% 1-year volatility. There are 59 mutual funds in the Bank Loan category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.76%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RiverPark Floating Rate CMBS Fund | 0.76% | — | Sep 2016 | DSU vs RCRIX | |
| Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund Class I Shares | 0.85% | — | Jun 2019 | DSU vs CCLFX | |
| Payden Floating Rate Fund | 1.25% | — | Nov 2013 | DSU vs PYFRX | |
| BNY Mellon Floating Rate Income Fund | 1.35% | — | Sep 2013 | DSU vs DFLYX | |
| Dunham Floating Rate Bond Fund | 1.69% | — | Oct 2013 | DSU vs DAFRX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to DSU
DSU has a 1-year max drawdown of -7.21%. There are 59 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund Class I Shares | -0.19% | — | Jun 2019 | DSU vs CCLFX | |
| 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 | |
| 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 ECAT, WFSPX, BDMIX and span 10 categories.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BlackRock ESG Capital Allocation Term Trust | Tactical Allocation, Derivative Income, ESG | 29 | 10.45% | — | Sep 2021 | DSU vs ECAT | |
| iShares S&P 500 Index Fund Class K | S&P 500 | 63 | 9.34% | — | Jul 1993 | DSU vs WFSPX | |
| BlackRock Global Equity Market Neutral Fund Class ... | Equity Market Neutral | 97 | 12.04% | — | Dec 2012 | DSU vs BDMIX | |
| BlackRock LifePath Index 2055 Fund - Institutional... | Target Retirement Date | 70 | 11.03% | — | May 2011 | DSU vs LIVIX | |
| BlackRock Enhanced Equity Dividend Trust | Derivative Income | 64 | 8.08% | — | Aug 2005 | DSU vs BDJ | |
| BlackRock Technology Opportunities Fund Investor A | Technology Equities | 30 | 22.08% | — | May 2000 | DSU vs BGSAX | |
| BlackRock Global Equity Market Neutral Fund Invest... | Equity Market Neutral | 97 | 11.82% | — | Dec 2012 | DSU vs BDMAX | |
| BlackRock Equity Dividend Fund | Large Cap Value Equities | 87 | 15.65% | — | Nov 1988 | DSU vs MADVX | |
| BlackRock Strategic Income Opportunities Fund Clas... | Total Bond Market | 64 | 1.03% | — | Feb 2008 | DSU vs BSIIX | |
| BlackRock High Yield K | High Yield Bonds | 78 | 1.22% | — | Jan 2001 | DSU vs BRHYX |
Often Compared With DSU
Investors most often compare DSU with HYT, CCD, GOF. These 20 comparison targets span 15 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