The Merger Fund Class I (MERIX) 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 MERIX. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to MERIX
MERIX charges 1.32% annually. There are 3 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 | MERIX vs GABCX | |
| Gabelli Enterprise Mergers and Acquisitions Fund | 1.01% | — | Feb 2001 | MERIX vs EMAYX | |
| BlackRock Event Driven Equity Fund | 1.16% | — | Dec 2007 | MERIX vs BILPX | |
| The Arbitrage Fund | 1.43% | — | Sep 2000 | MERIX vs ARBFX | |
| Water Island Event-Driven Fund | 1.44% | — | Sep 2010 | MERIX vs AEDNX |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to MERIX
MERIX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 98. There is 1 mutual fund in the Event Driven category with a higher risk-adjusted rank, going as high as 99.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NexPoint Merger Arbitrage Fund | 99 | — | Aug 2016 | MERIX vs HMEZX | |
| Vivaldi Merger Arbitrage Fund Class I | 98 | — | Oct 2015 | MERIX vs VARBX | |
| The Arbitrage Fund Class Institutional | 97 | — | Oct 2003 | MERIX vs ARBNX | |
| The Merger Fund | 97 | — | Jan 1989 | MERIX vs MERFX | |
| The Arbitrage Fund | 97 | — | Sep 2000 | MERIX vs ARBFX |
Top Performing MERIX Alternatives (YTD)
MERIX is at 1.12% YTD. There are 12 mutual funds in the Event Driven category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 7.73%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabelli Enterprise Mergers and Acquisitions Fund | 7.73% | — | Feb 2001 | MERIX vs EMAYX | |
| Gabelli ABC Fund | 4.23% | — | May 1993 | MERIX vs GABCX | |
| Camelot Event-Driven Fund Institutional Class | 3.22% | — | Jun 2010 | MERIX vs EVDIX | |
| Camelot Event Driven Fund Class A | 3.07% | — | Nov 2003 | MERIX vs EVDAX | |
| Water Island Event-Driven Fund | 1.88% | — | Sep 2010 | MERIX vs AEDNX |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to MERIX
MERIX has 1.40% 1-year volatility. There are 2 mutual funds in the Event Driven category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 1.12%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vivaldi Merger Arbitrage Fund Class I | 1.12% | — | Oct 2015 | MERIX vs VARBX | |
| NexPoint Merger Arbitrage Fund | 1.23% | — | Aug 2016 | MERIX vs HMEZX | |
| The Merger Fund | 1.43% | — | Jan 1989 | MERIX vs MERFX | |
| Virtus Westchester Credit Event Fund | 1.68% | — | Dec 2017 | MERIX vs WCFRX | |
| Dunham Monthly Distribution Fund | 1.72% | — | Jul 2008 | MERIX vs DAMDX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to MERIX
MERIX has a 1-year max drawdown of -0.47%. No mutual funds in the Event Driven category have shallower 1-year drawdowns; the lowest-drawdown alternatives shown here go as shallow as -0.52%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Merger Fund | -0.52% | — | Jan 1989 | MERIX vs MERFX | |
| NexPoint Merger Arbitrage Fund | -0.55% | — | Aug 2016 | MERIX vs HMEZX | |
| Vivaldi Merger Arbitrage Fund Class I | -0.64% | — | Oct 2015 | MERIX vs VARBX | |
| The Arbitrage Fund | -0.88% | — | Sep 2000 | MERIX vs ARBFX | |
| The Arbitrage Fund Class Institutional | -0.92% | — | Oct 2003 | MERIX vs ARBNX |
Often Compared With MERIX
Investors most often compare MERIX with VOO, QLD, SPY. These 7 comparison targets span 3 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 70 | 10.91% | 1.60T | Sep 2010 | MERIX vs VOO | |
| ProShares Ultra QQQ | Leveraged Equities | 69 | 42.06% | 14.46B | Jun 2006 | MERIX vs QLD | |
| State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | S&P 500 | 70 | 10.91% | 781.00B | Jan 1993 | MERIX vs SPY | |
| The GDL Fund | Event Driven | 21 | 1.33% | — | Jan 2007 | MERIX vs GDL | |
| Driehaus Event Driven Fund | Event Driven | — | — | — | Aug 2013 | MERIX vs DEVDX | |
| Virtus Westchester Event-Driven Fund | Event Driven | 68 | 1.55% | — | Jan 2014 | MERIX vs WCEIX | |
| BlackRock Event Driven Equity Fund Investor Class ... | Event Driven | 61 | 1.62% | — | Dec 2007 | MERIX vs BALPX |
Compare MERIX with Any Fund or Stock
Compare MERIX with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair MERIX with funds that move differently
The Merger Fund Class I alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to MERIX.
Explore MERIX Diversifiers