Dividend Investing Ideas Center
Critical Facts You Need to Know About Preferred Stocks
Have you ever wished for the safety of bonds, but the return potential...
MFS Low Volatility Equity Fund
mutual fund
MLVTX
Payout Change
Pending
Price as of:
$19.22
-2.39
-11.06%
primary theme
U.S. Large-Cap Blend Equity
MLVTX (Mutual Fund)
MFS Low Volatility Equity Fund
Payout Change
Pending
Price as of:
$19.22
-2.39
-11.06%
primary theme
U.S. Large-Cap Blend Equity
MLVTX (Mutual Fund)
MFS Low Volatility Equity Fund
Payout Change
Pending
Price as of:
$19.22
-2.39
-11.06%
primary theme
U.S. Large-Cap Blend Equity
Name
As of 12/12/2024Price
Aum/Mkt Cap
YIELD
Annualized forward dividend yield. Multiplies the most recent dividend payout amount by its frequency and divides by the previous close price.
Exp Ratio
Expense ratio is the fund’s total annual operating expenses, including management fees, distribution fees, and other expenses, expressed as a percentage of average net assets.
Watchlist
Vitals
YTD Return
4.8%
1 yr return
11.9%
3 Yr Avg Return
2.8%
5 Yr Avg Return
8.5%
Net Assets
$464 M
Holdings in Top 10
25.9%
52 WEEK LOW AND HIGH
$21.6
N/A
N/A
Expenses
OPERATING FEES
Expense Ratio 0.59%
SALES FEES
Front Load N/A
Deferred Load N/A
TRADING FEES
Turnover 20.00%
Redemption Fee N/A
Min Investment
Standard (Taxable)
$0
IRA
N/A
Fund Classification
Fund Type
Open End Mutual Fund
Name
As of 12/12/2024Price
Aum/Mkt Cap
YIELD
Annualized forward dividend yield. Multiplies the most recent dividend payout amount by its frequency and divides by the previous close price.
Exp Ratio
Expense ratio is the fund’s total annual operating expenses, including management fees, distribution fees, and other expenses, expressed as a percentage of average net assets.
Watchlist
MLVTX - Profile
Distributions
- YTD Total Return 4.8%
- 3 Yr Annualized Total Return 2.8%
- 5 Yr Annualized Total Return 8.5%
- Capital Gain Distribution Frequency Annually
- Net Income Ratio 1.06%
- Dividend Yield 1.1%
- Dividend Distribution Frequency None
Fund Details
-
Legal NameMFS Low Volatility Equity Fund
-
Fund Family NameMFS Funds
-
Inception DateDec 05, 2013
-
Shares OutstandingN/A
-
Share ClassR6
-
CurrencyUSD
-
Domiciled CountryUS
-
ManagerJames Fallon
Fund Description
MFS (Massachusetts Financial Services Company, the fund’s investment adviser) normally invests at least 80% of the fund’s net assets in equity securities. Equity securities include common stocks, equity interests in real estate investment trusts (REITs), and other securities that represent an ownership interest (or right to acquire an ownership interest) in a company or other issuer.
In selecting investments for the fund, MFS is not constrained by any particular investment style. MFS may invest the fund’s assets in the stocks of companies it believes to have above average earnings growth potential compared to other companies (growth companies), in the stocks of companies it believes are undervalued compared to their perceived worth (value companies), or in a combination of growth and value companies.
MFS may invest the fund’s assets in securities of companies of any size.
MFS may invest the fund’s assets in foreign securities.
MFS normally invests the fund’s assets across different industries and sectors, but MFS may invest a significant percentage of the fund’s assets in issuers in a single industry or sector.
MFS uses an active bottom-up approach to buying and selling investments for the fund. Investments are selected primarily based on blending fundamental and quantitative research. MFS uses fundamental analysis of individual issuers to determine a fundamental rating for an issuer. MFS uses quantitative analysis to determine a quantitative rating for an issuer. MFS combines the fundamental rating with the quantitative rating to create a blended rating for an issuer. When the fundamental rating is not available, MFS treats the issuer as having a neutral fundamental rating. MFS generally eliminates the most volatile equity securities based on historical volatility as potential investments for the fund. MFS then constructs the portfolio using a portfolio optimization process that considers the blended rating as well as issuer, industry, and sector weightings, volatility, and other factors, with a goal of constructing a portfolio less volatile than the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index. The portfolio managers have the discretion to adjust the inputs and parameters used in the optimization process and the fund’s portfolio holdings based on factors such as the desired portfolio characteristics and the portfolio managers’ qualitative assessment of the optimization results. Volatility is measured by the standard deviation of monthly returns. Volatility generally measures how much the fund’s returns have varied over a specified time period.
For purposes of the fund’s 80% policy, net assets include the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes.
MLVTX - Performance
Return Ranking - Trailing
| Period | MLVTX Return | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YTD | 4.8% | 4.3% | 46.2% | 97.35% |
| 1 Yr | 11.9% | 5.8% | 61.3% | 95.53% |
| 3 Yr | 2.8%* | -11.0% | 19.2% | 95.90% |
| 5 Yr | 8.5%* | -7.6% | 110.6% | 94.25% |
| 10 Yr | 10.0%* | -0.1% | 52.9% | 86.66% |
* Annualized
Return Ranking - Calendar
| Period | MLVTX Return | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 5.5% | -42.6% | 47.4% | 92.63% |
| 2022 | -20.9% | -56.3% | -4.2% | 49.42% |
| 2021 | 18.9% | -27.2% | 537.8% | 43.27% |
| 2020 | 10.0% | -22.5% | 2181.7% | 60.81% |
| 2019 | 25.7% | -13.5% | 40.4% | 35.79% |
Total Return Ranking - Trailing
| Period | MLVTX Return | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YTD | 4.8% | 4.3% | 46.2% | 97.35% |
| 1 Yr | 11.9% | 5.8% | 61.3% | 95.53% |
| 3 Yr | 2.8%* | -11.0% | 19.2% | 95.90% |
| 5 Yr | 8.5%* | -7.6% | 110.6% | 94.25% |
| 10 Yr | 10.0%* | -0.1% | 52.9% | 86.66% |
* Annualized
Total Return Ranking - Calendar
| Period | MLVTX Return | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 12.5% | -5.0% | 47.4% | 92.88% |
| 2022 | -10.6% | -36.8% | -2.2% | 11.08% |
| 2021 | 25.6% | 3.0% | 537.8% | 63.00% |
| 2020 | 11.7% | -15.8% | 2266.0% | 82.86% |
| 2019 | 27.3% | -0.4% | 241.3% | 75.18% |
NAV & Total Return History
MLVTX - Holdings
Concentration Analysis
| MLVTX | Category Low | Category High | MLVTX % Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Assets | 464 M | 2.34 M | 1.55 T | 69.97% |
| Number of Holdings | 100 | 2 | 3963 | 54.54% |
| Net Assets in Top 10 | 111 M | 880 K | 525 B | 76.57% |
| Weighting of Top 10 | 25.89% | 0.3% | 111.6% | 92.96% |
Top 10 Holdings
- Eli Lilly Co 3.31%
- Motorola Solutions Inc 3.09%
- McKesson Corp 2.70%
- Amphenol Corp 2.62%
- TE Connectivity Ltd 2.54%
- Johnson Johnson 2.48%
- Accenture PLC 2.34%
- Merck Co Inc 2.28%
- Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp 2.27%
- Microsoft Corp 2.24%
Asset Allocation
| Weighting | Return Low | Return High | MLVTX % Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stocks | 99.65% | 0.00% | 105.79% | 25.33% |
| Cash | 0.35% | 0.00% | 99.07% | 70.96% |
| Preferred Stocks | 0.00% | 0.00% | 2.03% | 73.76% |
| Other | 0.00% | -13.91% | 100.00% | 79.04% |
| Convertible Bonds | 0.00% | 0.00% | 5.54% | 71.77% |
| Bonds | 0.00% | 0.00% | 93.85% | 73.93% |
Stock Sector Breakdown
| Weighting | Return Low | Return High | MLVTX % Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technology | 19.57% | 0.00% | 48.94% | 76.30% |
| Healthcare | 16.86% | 0.00% | 52.29% | 16.89% |
| Consumer Defense | 14.85% | 0.00% | 47.71% | 3.03% |
| Industrials | 12.05% | 0.00% | 29.90% | 18.24% |
| Financial Services | 10.02% | 0.00% | 55.59% | 92.77% |
| Communication Services | 9.33% | 0.00% | 27.94% | 28.49% |
| Utilities | 7.56% | 0.00% | 20.91% | 3.03% |
| Consumer Cyclical | 4.04% | 0.00% | 30.33% | 96.05% |
| Real Estate | 3.18% | 0.00% | 31.91% | 32.52% |
| Basic Materials | 2.54% | 0.00% | 25.70% | 50.25% |
| Energy | 0.00% | 0.00% | 41.64% | 96.22% |
Stock Geographic Breakdown
| Weighting | Return Low | Return High | MLVTX % Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | 99.65% | 0.00% | 105.79% | 22.61% |
| Non US | 0.00% | 0.00% | 63.83% | 76.49% |
MLVTX - Expenses
Operational Fees
| MLVTX Fees (% of AUM) | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 0.59% | 0.01% | 19.75% | 68.11% |
| Management Fee | 0.50% | 0.00% | 1.90% | 48.92% |
| 12b-1 Fee | N/A | 0.00% | 1.00% | N/A |
| Administrative Fee | N/A | 0.00% | 0.85% | N/A |
Sales Fees
| MLVTX Fees (% of AUM) | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front Load | N/A | 1.00% | 5.75% | N/A |
| Deferred Load | N/A | 1.00% | 5.00% | N/A |
Trading Fees
| MLVTX Fees (% of AUM) | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Redemption Fee | N/A | 0.25% | 2.00% | N/A |
Related Fees
Turnover provides investors a proxy for the trading fees incurred by mutual fund managers who frequently adjust position allocations. Higher turnover means higher trading fees.
| MLVTX Fees (% of AUM) | Category Return Low | Category Return High | Rank in Category (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | 20.00% | 0.00% | 268.00% | 43.19% |
MLVTX - Distributions
Dividend Yield Analysis
| MLVTX | Category Low | Category High | MLVTX % Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | 1.13% | 0.00% | 25.47% | 54.84% |
Dividend Distribution Analysis
| MLVTX | Category Low | Category High | Category Mod | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Distribution Frequency | None | Annual | Quarterly | Annual |
Net Income Ratio Analysis
| MLVTX | Category Low | Category High | MLVTX % Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Income Ratio | 1.06% | -54.00% | 2.44% | 30.27% |
Capital Gain Distribution Analysis
| MLVTX | Category Low | Category High | Capital Mode | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Gain Distribution Frequency | Annually | Annually | Semi-Annually | Annually |
Distributions History
| Date | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2024 | $0.062 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Mar 26, 2024 | $0.056 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 14, 2023 | $0.076 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 14, 2023 | $0.983 | CapitalGainLongTerm |
| Sep 21, 2023 | $0.057 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Jun 22, 2023 | $0.051 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Mar 23, 2023 | $0.047 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 15, 2022 | $0.067 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 15, 2022 | $2.068 | CapitalGainLongTerm |
| Sep 22, 2022 | $0.061 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Jun 23, 2022 | $0.056 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Mar 24, 2022 | $0.047 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 16, 2021 | $0.044 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 16, 2021 | $1.014 | CapitalGainLongTerm |
| Sep 23, 2021 | $0.042 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Jun 24, 2021 | $0.050 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Mar 25, 2021 | $0.048 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 17, 2020 | $0.077 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Sep 24, 2020 | $0.056 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Jun 25, 2020 | $0.058 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Mar 26, 2020 | $0.058 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 19, 2019 | $0.049 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 19, 2019 | $0.020 | CapitalGainLongTerm |
| Sep 26, 2019 | $0.047 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Jun 26, 2019 | $0.044 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Mar 27, 2019 | $0.047 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 20, 2018 | $0.072 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 20, 2018 | $0.053 | CapitalGainShortTerm |
| Dec 20, 2018 | $0.406 | CapitalGainLongTerm |
| Sep 26, 2018 | $0.056 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Jun 27, 2018 | $0.062 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Mar 27, 2018 | $0.036 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 21, 2017 | $0.081 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 21, 2017 | $0.066 | CapitalGainShortTerm |
| Dec 21, 2017 | $0.121 | CapitalGainLongTerm |
| Sep 27, 2017 | $0.050 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Jun 28, 2017 | $0.054 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Mar 29, 2017 | $0.037 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 13, 2016 | $0.061 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 13, 2016 | $0.022 | CapitalGainShortTerm |
| Dec 13, 2016 | $0.006 | CapitalGainLongTerm |
| Sep 27, 2016 | $0.045 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Jun 28, 2016 | $0.044 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Mar 29, 2016 | $0.038 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 11, 2015 | $0.030 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 11, 2015 | $0.031 | CapitalGainShortTerm |
| Dec 11, 2015 | $0.055 | CapitalGainLongTerm |
| Sep 29, 2015 | $0.034 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Jun 26, 2015 | $0.038 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Mar 27, 2015 | $0.037 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 12, 2014 | $0.040 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Dec 12, 2014 | $0.006 | CapitalGainShortTerm |
| Sep 26, 2014 | $0.036 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Jun 27, 2014 | $0.034 | OrdinaryDividend |
| Mar 28, 2014 | $0.035 | OrdinaryDividend |
MLVTX - Fund Manager Analysis
Managers
James Fallon
Start Date
Tenure
Tenure Rank
Dec 05, 2013
8.49
8.5%
James C. Fallon - Investment Officer - Portfolio Manager - As a Portfolio Manager, responsible for final buy and sell decisions, portfolio construction, risk and cash management. Participates in the research process and strategy discussions. - Joined MFS in 1999; previous positions include Equity Research Associate; Securities Lending Administrator. - Previous experience includes 1 year as Mutual Fund Custody Accountant at Investors Bank & Trust; 1 year as Financial Analyst at Bardon Trimount. - Affiliations include CFA Institute, CFA Society of Boston
Matthew Krummell
Start Date
Tenure
Tenure Rank
Dec 05, 2013
8.49
8.5%
Lead Portfolio Manager As a Portfolio Manager, responsible for final buy and sell decisions, portfolio construction, risk and cash management. Participates in the research process and strategy discussions. Joined MFS in 2001 Previous experience includes 3 years as Analyst and Portfolio Manager at Pioneer Investments; 2 years as Assistant Vice President at Putnam Investments; 3 years as Associate at Mellon Capital Management. Affiliations include Boston Security Analysts Society, Inc., CFA Institute. University of Chicago, MBA University of California, Berkeley, BA, Phi Beta Kappa
John (Jed) Stocks
Start Date
Tenure
Tenure Rank
Sep 15, 2015
6.71
6.7%
As a Portfolio Manager, responsible for final buy and sell decisions, portfolio construction, risk and cash management. Participates in the research process and strategy discussions. - Joined MFS in 2001; previous positions include Quantitative Research Analyst; Quantitative Research Associate; Teleservices Representative. - Previous experience includes 1 year as Client Service Specialist and Order Desk Specialist at Patagon.com Securities.- John re-joined the firm in 2001. His original start date was February 1999.
Jonathan Sage
Start Date
Tenure
Tenure Rank
Sep 15, 2015
6.71
6.7%
Jonathan W. Sage, CFA, is an investment officer and a portfolio manager at MFS Investment Management. He manages blended research equity strategies utilized by the firm's mutual funds and institutional accounts. He joined MFS in 2000 as a quantitative equity research analyst and was named a portfolio manager in 2005. Prior to joining MFS, Jonathan spent two years as a supervisor of portfolio administration for Santander Global Advisors, Inc. and three years as a senior mutual fund accountant for First Data Investor Services Group.
Tenure Analysis
| Category Low | Category High | Category Average | Category Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.04 | 39.02 | 7.27 | 2.42 |
