CIF vs. MITTX

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

CIF (MFS Intermediate High Income Fund) and MITTX (MFS Massachusetts Investors Trust) are both mutual funds - CIF is a High Yield Bonds fund tracking the Barclays U.S. High-Yield Corporate 2% Issuer Capped Index, while MITTX is a Large Cap Blend Equities fund managed by MFS. Over the past 10 years, CIF returned 5.56%/yr vs 13.61%/yr for MITTX. At a 0.21 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. CIF charges 1.50%/yr vs 0.70%/yr for MITTX.

Performance

CIF vs. MITTX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in MFS Intermediate High Income Fund (CIF) and MFS Massachusetts Investors Trust (MITTX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CIF achieves a -0.48% return, which is significantly lower than MITTX's 8.10% return. Over the past 10 years, CIF has underperformed MITTX with an annualized return of 5.56%, while MITTX has yielded a comparatively higher 13.61% annualized return.

CIF

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 0.63%
• YTD: -0.48%
• 6M: -1.95%
• 1Y: 5.11%
• 3Y*: 10.45%
• 5Y*: -2.53%
• 10Y*: 5.56%

MITTX

• 1D: 0.08%
• 1M: 3.36%
• YTD: 8.10%
• 6M: 8.84%
• 1Y: 20.83%
• 3Y*: 17.69%
• 5Y*: 10.36%
• 10Y*: 13.61%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

CIF vs. MITTX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
CIF MFS Intermediate High Income Fund	-0.48%	8.97%	11.42%	11.85%	-32.24%	17.80%	0.27%	43.26%	-19.93%	25.66%
MITTX MFS Massachusetts Investors Trust	8.10%	13.67%	19.69%	19.26%	-16.27%	26.73%	18.72%	31.92%	-5.56%	23.55%

Correlation

The correlation between CIF and MITTX is 0.36, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.36
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.39
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.44
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.37
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 6, 1988	0.21

The correlation between CIF and MITTX shifts across timeframes, from 0.21 (all time) to 0.44 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

CIF vs. MITTX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

CIF

CIF Risk / Return Rank: 7
CIF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6
CIF Sortino Ratio Rank: 6
CIF Omega Ratio Rank: 6
CIF Calmar Ratio Rank: 7
CIF Martin Ratio Rank: 7

MITTX

MITTX Risk / Return Rank: 40
MITTX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 42
MITTX Sortino Ratio Rank: 39
MITTX Omega Ratio Rank: 41
MITTX Calmar Ratio Rank: 33
MITTX Martin Ratio Rank: 45

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

CIF vs. MITTX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for MFS Intermediate High Income Fund (CIF) and MFS Massachusetts Investors Trust (MITTX). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	CIF	MITTX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.50	1.89	-1.39
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.81	2.62	-1.81
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.10	1.34	-0.24
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.65	2.17	-1.52
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.84	9.43	-7.58
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

CIF vs. MITTX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CIF Sharpe Ratio is 0.50, which is lower than the MITTX Sharpe Ratio of 1.89. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CIF and MITTX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	CIF	MITTX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.50	1.89	-1.39
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.15	0.66	-0.82
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.29	0.79	-0.51
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.16	0.43	-0.28

Drawdowns

CIF vs. MITTX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CIF drawdown since its inception was -69.23%, which is greater than MITTX's maximum drawdown of -49.54%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CIF and MITTX.

Drawdown Indicators

	CIF	MITTX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-69.23%	-49.54%	-19.69%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.89%	-9.76%	+1.87%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-10.73%	-16.10%	+5.37%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-44.92%	-23.27%	-21.65%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-45.24%	-33.45%	-11.79%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-21.94%	0.00%	-21.94%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-17.82%	-10.54%	-7.28%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.78%	2.24%	+0.54%

Volatility

CIF vs. MITTX - Volatility Comparison

MFS Intermediate High Income Fund (CIF) has a higher volatility of 2.58% compared to MFS Massachusetts Investors Trust (MITTX) at 2.44%. This indicates that CIF's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than MITTX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CIF	MITTX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.58%	2.44%	+0.14%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.61%	8.56%	-0.95%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	10.21%	11.21%	-1.00%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.42%	15.68%	+0.74%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	19.45%	17.21%	+2.24%

CIF vs. MITTX - Expense Ratio Comparison

CIF has a 1.50% expense ratio, which is higher than MITTX's 0.70% expense ratio.

Dividends

CIF vs. MITTX - Dividend Comparison

CIF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 10.95%, less than MITTX's 13.25% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CIF MFS Intermediate High Income Fund	10.95%	10.46%	10.23%	10.02%	11.22%	8.40%	9.01%	8.63%	11.71%	9.16%	9.91%	10.05%
MITTX MFS Massachusetts Investors Trust	13.25%	14.33%	14.47%	10.96%	9.35%	8.66%	8.14%	7.58%	13.49%	7.27%	5.55%	6.02%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both CIF and MITTX in my portfolio?

CIF and MITTX have a correlation of 0.36, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, CIF or MITTX?

CIF has higher volatility (2.58%) compared to MITTX (2.44%). In terms of maximum drawdown, CIF dropped -69.23% vs MITTX's -49.54%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

MITTX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.89 vs 0.50), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.