STEW vs. HFRO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about SRH Total Return Fund Inc. (STEW) and Highland Funds I - Highland Opportunities and Income Fund (HFRO).

STEW is managed by SRH. HFRO is managed by Highland Funds. It was launched on Jan 13, 2000.

Performance

STEW vs. HFRO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in SRH Total Return Fund Inc. (STEW) and Highland Funds I - Highland Opportunities and Income Fund (HFRO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

STEW vs. HFRO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
STEW SRH Total Return Fund Inc.	-6.74%	20.28%	19.90%	13.54%	-11.18%
HFRO Highland Funds I - Highland Opportunities and Income Fund	-2.69%	25.08%	-27.17%	-16.97%	-8.04%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, STEW achieves a -6.74% return, which is significantly lower than HFRO's -2.69% return.

STEW

• 1D: 2.33%
• 1M: -4.68%
• YTD: -6.74%
• 6M: -3.89%
• 1Y: 3.15%
• 3Y*: 16.08%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

HFRO

• 1D: 3.44%
• 1M: -7.58%
• YTD: -2.69%
• 6M: -6.61%
• 1Y: 18.97%
• 3Y*: -5.54%
• 5Y*: -4.71%
• 10Y*: —

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

STEW vs. HFRO - Expense Ratio Comparison

STEW has a 2.28% expense ratio, which is higher than HFRO's 0.02% expense ratio.

STEW

SRH Total Return Fund Inc.

HFRO

Highland Funds I - Highland Opportunities and Income Fund

Return for Risk

STEW vs. HFRO — Risk / Return Rank

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

STEW

STEW Risk / Return Rank: 10
STEW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8
STEW Sortino Ratio Rank: 8
STEW Omega Ratio Rank: 8
STEW Calmar Ratio Rank: 13
STEW Martin Ratio Rank: 12

HFRO

HFRO Risk / Return Rank: 42
HFRO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 34
HFRO Sortino Ratio Rank: 34
HFRO Omega Ratio Rank: 36
HFRO Calmar Ratio Rank: 67
HFRO Martin Ratio Rank: 38

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.

STEW vs. HFRO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SRH Total Return Fund Inc. (STEW) and Highland Funds I - Highland Opportunities and Income Fund (HFRO). 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.

	STEW	HFRO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.20	0.80	-0.60
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.39	1.20	-0.80
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.05	1.18	-0.13
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.34	1.57	-1.23
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.12	4.05	-2.93
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

STEW vs. HFRO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current STEW Sharpe Ratio is 0.20, which is lower than the HFRO Sharpe Ratio of 0.80. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of STEW and HFRO, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	STEW	HFRO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.20	0.80	-0.60
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	-0.20	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.51	-0.16	+0.67

Correlation

The correlation between STEW and HFRO is 0.33, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

STEW vs. HFRO - Dividend Comparison

STEW's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.06%, less than HFRO's 8.09% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
STEW SRH Total Return Fund Inc.	4.06%	3.56%	3.43%	3.60%	2.83%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
HFRO Highland Funds I - Highland Opportunities and Income Fund	8.09%	7.73%	8.90%	12.02%	8.97%	8.41%	8.99%	7.43%	7.22%	0.99%

Drawdowns

STEW vs. HFRO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum STEW drawdown since its inception was -25.25%, smaller than the maximum HFRO drawdown of -52.79%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for STEW and HFRO.

Drawdown Indicators

	STEW	HFRO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-25.25%	-52.79%	+27.54%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.50%	-15.74%	+5.24%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-52.79%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.96%	-34.66%	+27.70%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.42%	-20.50%	+15.08%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.19%	6.10%	-2.91%

Volatility

STEW vs. HFRO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for SRH Total Return Fund Inc. (STEW) is 4.54%, while Highland Funds I - Highland Opportunities and Income Fund (HFRO) has a volatility of 8.13%. This indicates that STEW experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than HFRO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	STEW	HFRO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.54%	8.13%	-3.59%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.65%	15.20%	-6.55%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	15.77%	24.25%	-8.48%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.66%	23.59%	-7.93%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.66%	22.54%	-6.88%