The Merger Fund (MERFX) belongs to the Event Driven category. Below you'll find alternative mutual funds from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with MERFX. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to MERFX
MERFX charges 1.50% annually. There are 7 mutual funds in the Event Driven category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.79%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabelli ABC Fund | 0.79% | — | May 1993 | MERFX vs GABCX | |
| Gabelli Enterprise Mergers and Acquisitions Fund | 1.01% | — | Feb 2001 | MERFX vs EMAYX | |
| BlackRock Event Driven Equity Fund | 1.16% | — | Dec 2007 | MERFX vs BILPX | |
| The Merger Fund Class I | 1.32% | — | Aug 2013 | MERFX vs MERIX | |
| The Arbitrage Fund | 1.43% | — | Sep 2000 | MERFX vs ARBFX |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to MERFX
MERFX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 97. There are 5 mutual funds in the Event Driven category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 99.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NexPoint Merger Arbitrage Fund | 99 | — | Aug 2016 | MERFX vs HMEZX | |
| Vivaldi Merger Arbitrage Fund Class I | 98 | — | Oct 2015 | MERFX vs VARBX | |
| The Merger Fund Class I | 98 | — | Aug 2013 | MERFX vs MERIX | |
| The Arbitrage Fund Class Institutional | 97 | — | Oct 2003 | MERFX vs ARBNX | |
| Dunham Monthly Distribution Fund | 97 | — | Jul 2008 | MERFX vs DAMDX |
Top Performing MERFX Alternatives (YTD)
MERFX is at 1.33% YTD. There are 14 mutual funds in the Event Driven category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 6.55%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabelli Enterprise Mergers and Acquisitions Fund | 6.55% | — | Feb 2001 | MERFX vs EMAYX | |
| Gabelli ABC Fund | 3.50% | — | May 1993 | MERFX vs GABCX | |
| Water Island Event-Driven Fund | 3.13% | — | Sep 2010 | MERFX vs AEDNX | |
| Camelot Event-Driven Fund Institutional Class | 2.27% | — | Jun 2010 | MERFX vs EVDIX | |
| BlackRock Event Driven Equity Fund | 2.21% | — | Dec 2007 | MERFX vs BILPX |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to MERFX
MERFX has 1.55% 1-year volatility. There are 3 mutual funds in the Event Driven category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 1.08%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vivaldi Merger Arbitrage Fund Class I | 1.08% | — | Oct 2015 | MERFX vs VARBX | |
| NexPoint Merger Arbitrage Fund | 1.28% | — | Aug 2016 | MERFX vs HMEZX | |
| The Merger Fund Class I | 1.52% | — | Aug 2013 | MERFX vs MERIX | |
| Virtus Westchester Credit Event Fund | 1.71% | — | Dec 2017 | MERFX vs WCFRX | |
| The Arbitrage Fund | 1.87% | — | Sep 2000 | MERFX vs ARBFX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to MERFX
MERFX has a 1-year max drawdown of -0.52%. There are 2 mutual funds in the Event Driven category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -0.37%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vivaldi Merger Arbitrage Fund Class I | -0.37% | — | Oct 2015 | MERFX vs VARBX | |
| The Merger Fund Class I | -0.47% | — | Aug 2013 | MERFX vs MERIX | |
| NexPoint Merger Arbitrage Fund | -0.55% | — | Aug 2016 | MERFX vs HMEZX | |
| The Arbitrage Fund | -0.88% | — | Sep 2000 | MERFX vs ARBFX | |
| The Arbitrage Fund Class Institutional | -0.92% | — | Oct 2003 | MERFX vs ARBNX |
Other Mutual Funds from Virtus
The 10 most viewed Virtus mutual funds shown here include AIO, SAMBX, VKSIX and span 8 categories.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virtus Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opport... | Technology Equities | 48 | 32.52% | — | Oct 2019 | MERFX vs AIO | |
| Virtus Seix Floating Rate High Income Fund | Bank Loan | 97 | 2.42% | — | Feb 2006 | MERFX vs SAMBX | |
| Virtus KAR Small-Mid Cap Core Fund | Mid Cap Growth Equities | 1 | -7.39% | — | Mar 2018 | MERFX vs VKSIX | |
| Virtus KAR Small-Cap Core Fund | Mid Cap Growth Equities | 8 | 6.08% | — | Oct 1996 | MERFX vs PKSFX | |
| Virtus KAR Capital Growth Fund | Large Cap Growth Equities | 7 | 4.90% | — | Oct 1995 | MERFX vs PSTAX | |
| Virtus KAR Mid-Cap Core Fund | Mid Cap Growth Equities | 3 | -0.23% | — | Jun 2009 | MERFX vs VIMCX | |
| Virtus Tactical Allocation Fund | Diversified Portfolio | 5 | 0.89% | — | Sep 1940 | MERFX vs NAINX | |
| Virtus Duff & Phelps Real Estate Securities Fund | REIT | 22 | 15.62% | — | Mar 1995 | MERFX vs PHRAX | |
| Virtus KAR Small-Cap Growth Fund | Small Cap Growth Equities | 0 | -8.38% | — | Jun 2006 | MERFX vs PXSGX | |
| Virtus Stone Harbor Emerging Markets Income Fund | Emerging Markets Bonds | 56 | 19.48% | — | Dec 2010 | MERFX vs EDF |
Often Compared With MERFX
Investors most often compare MERFX with SPY, GDL, NIE. These 20 comparison targets span 18 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare MERFX with Any Fund or Stock
Compare MERFX with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair MERFX with funds that move differently
The Merger Fund alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to MERFX.
Explore MERFX Diversifiers