- ISIN
- US5529811029
- CUSIP
- 552981102
- Issuer
- MFS
- Inception Date
- Oct 13, 1971
- Category
- Large Cap Blend Equities
- Min. Investment
- $1,000
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Equity
- Asset Class Size
- Large-Cap
- Asset Class Style
- Blend
Share Price Chart
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Performance
MFRFX Performance Chart
MFS Research Fund (MFRFX) is up 7.1% since the beginning of the year. MFRFX is currently trading at $60 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of MFRFX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,622.
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Returns By Period
MFS Research Fund (MFRFX) has returned 7.13% so far this year and 19.90% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, MFRFX has had an annualized return of 13.14%, just under the S&P 500 Index benchmark’s 13.66%.
MFS Research Fund
- 1D
- -0.05%
- 1M
- 3.78%
- YTD
- 7.13%
- 6M
- 7.31%
- 1Y
- 19.90%
- 3Y*
- 17.25%
- 5Y*
- 10.15%
- 10Y*
- 13.14%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -0.74%
- 1M
- 4.90%
- YTD
- 10.35%
- 6M
- 10.28%
- 1Y
- 26.52%
- 3Y*
- 20.83%
- 5Y*
- 12.30%
- 10Y*
- 13.66%
MFRFX Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since May 3, 1973, MFRFX's average daily return is +0.04%, while the average monthly return is +0.80%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 7.2 years.
Historically, 62% of months were positive and 38% were negative. The best month was Oct 1974 with a return of +15.8%, while the worst month was Sep 1986 at -28.2%. The longest winning streak lasted 18 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 5 months.
On a daily basis, MFRFX closed higher 46% of trading days. The best single day was Oct 31, 1974 with a return of +15.8%, while the worst single day was Oct 20, 1987 at -19.2%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1.48% | -1.33% | -4.98% | 8.78% | 2.99% | 0.50% | 7.13% | ||||||
| 2025 | 3.64% | -2.42% | -6.11% | -0.93% | 6.31% | 4.88% | 2.54% | 1.22% | 1.86% | 1.80% | 0.17% | -0.24% | 12.80% |
| 2024 | 1.29% | 5.57% | 3.07% | -4.85% | 4.06% | 2.54% | 1.09% | 1.59% | 1.66% | -0.59% | 5.57% | -3.13% | 18.77% |
| 2023 | 5.73% | -3.82% | 2.62% | 2.00% | 0.16% | 6.00% | 3.10% | -1.75% | -4.90% | -1.28% | 9.07% | 4.50% | 22.49% |
| 2022 | -5.56% | -3.21% | 2.24% | -7.91% | 1.06% | -7.44% | 8.63% | -3.97% | -8.37% | 7.44% | 5.30% | -4.91% | -17.21% |
| 2021 | -2.05% | 3.03% | 4.28% | 6.11% | 0.54% | 2.02% | 2.80% | 2.66% | -5.11% | 6.32% | -2.12% | 4.43% | 24.66% |
Benchmark Metrics
MFS Research Fund has an annualized alpha of 1.80%, beta of 0.84, and R2 of 0.61 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since May 04, 1973.
- This fund captured 106.97% of S&P 500 Index gains and 106.70% of its losses - amplifying both gains and losses, but participating more in upside than downside.
- Alpha
- 1.80%
- Beta
- 0.84
- R²
- 0.61
- Upside Capture
- 106.97%
- Downside Capture
- 106.70%
Expense Ratio
MFRFX has an expense ratio of 0.78%, placing it in the medium range.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
MFRFX ranks 37 for risk / return — below 37% of mutual funds on our site. The returns aren't fully compensating for the risk involved. This isn't necessarily a dealbreaker, but factor it into your decision — especially if you're risk-averse.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for MFS Research Fund (MFRFX) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
| MFRFX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.48 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.61 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.32 | 1.41 | -0.08 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.14 | 2.93 | -0.79 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.26 | 13.52 | -4.26 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
Dividends
Dividend History
MFS Research Fund provided a 15.02% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $9.03 per share. The fund has been increasing its distributions for 6 consecutive years.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $9.03 | $9.03 | $5.80 | $3.56 | $3.52 | $3.28 | $2.60 | $1.70 | $4.50 | $3.71 | $1.72 | $2.51 |
Dividend yield | 15.02% | 16.09% | 10.04% | 6.68% | 7.56% | 5.43% | 5.09% | 3.68% | 12.52% | 8.80% | 4.63% | 6.98% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for MFS Research Fund. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $9.03 | $9.03 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $5.80 | $5.80 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3.56 | $3.56 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3.52 | $3.52 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3.28 | $3.28 |
Drawdowns
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.
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Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the MFS Research Fund. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.
The maximum drawdown for the MFS Research Fund was 56.15%, occurring on Oct 9, 2002. Recovery took 2375 trading sessions.
The current MFS Research Fund drawdown is 0.05%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dot-com crash2000–2002 | -56.15%Oct 2002 | 2y 1mo | 9y 5mo | 11y 6moSep 2000 - Mar 2012 |
Black Monday1987 | -49.34%Oct 1987 | 4y 4mo | 4y 2mo | 8y 6moJun 1983 - Jan 1992 |
1974 bear market1974 | -48.19%Sep 1974 | 11mo 4d | 3y 10mo | 4y 9moOct 1973 - Jul 1978 |
1982 bear market1982 | -34.01%Aug 1982 | 1y 2mo | 6mo 16d | 1y 9moMay 1981 - Feb 1983 |
COVID crash2020 | -33.52%Mar 2020 | 1mo 2d | 5mo 4d | 6mo 6dFeb 2020 - Aug 2020 |
Drawdown Indicators
| MFRFX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -56.15% | -56.78% | +0.63% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -9.63% | -9.10% | -0.53% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -19.19% | -18.90% | -0.29% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -23.37% | -25.43% | +2.06% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -33.52% | -33.92% | +0.40% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.05% | -0.74% | +0.69% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -14.45% | -10.72% | -3.73% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.22% | 1.97% | +0.25% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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