MRSAX Mutual Fund — MFS Research International Fund Class A

MFS Research International Fund Class A (MRSAX)

Updated October 15, 2026.

MRSAX is a Mutual Fund. its distribution rate is 1.60%, its trailing-12-month yield is 4.73%, its expense ratio is 0.99%. Dividend Vision Distribution Safety Score™ is 93/100 (Safe). Total return is 552.5% over the past 29.8 years, 1081.7 points behind SPY at 1634.2%.

MFS Research International Fund Class A is a mutual fund that invests primarily in foreign equity securities across different countries, regions, and sectors, with flexibility to include emerging market stocks. The fund distributes annually at a modest current rate, with an expense ratio of 0.99%; note that its latest distribution was special and may not recur as part of the regular payout schedule. The fund appeals to investors seeking international equity exposure with a focus on company research rather than index tracking.

MRSAX performance versus SPY

Price and return data through 2026-10-15.

Total return is 552.5% over the past 29.8 years, 1081.7 points behind SPY at 1634.2%. Over the past year its total return — price change plus distributions reinvested — is 13.9%. Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 11.7%.

MRSAX key facts

Distribution Safety Score™

93 · Safe

Safety-Adjusted Yield

1.49%

Issuer

MFS

Asset type

Mutual Fund

Asset class

Equity

Inception date

01/02/1997

Expense ratio

0.99%

Distribution rate

1.60%

Distribution frequency

Annual

Trailing yield

4.73%

Last close

$28.75 (as of 2026-10-15)

NAV

$27.51 as of 2026-09-30; source eodhd (stale)

Premium / discount

N/A (price 2026-10-15, NAV 2026-09-30) (NAV stale)

AUM

$16,764,230,000

Average volume

0.0

Dividend

$1.359

Ex-dividend date

12/09/2025

Payment date

12/10/2025

Beta

0.83

How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns

Distribution rate (1.60%) uses calculation basis unavailable. Issuer rates can use a different denominator and date, including ex-date NAV. Trailing-12-month yield (4.73%) is the sum of split-adjusted cash distributions with ex-dates in the last 12 months, divided by the published price. It lags a recent raise or cut. Total return uses split-adjusted close with distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date) from the first stored bar on or after inception through the latest bar, compared with the same window on the benchmark. That is the security's total return, not your personal gain/loss.

Yield and safety methodology · Distribution rate methodology · Distribution Safety Score methodology

Sources and review

Primary sources: MFS; prices and distributions from Dividend Vision, derived from vendor EOD data.

Reviewed by Bert Sweet, CEO and Co-owner of Dividend Vision. Methodology: Distribution Safety Score.

MRSAX risks and drawbacks

MRSAX's current distribution rate is moderate, not a high-yield payout — the strategy is dividend quality more than maximum income. Payments are annual, so cash flow is lumpy versus a monthly fund. Total return has trailed SPY over the available window. The deepest 1-year drawdown on record here is 11.7%.

Who may consider MRSAX — and who may not

MRSAX may suit someone looking for a high Distribution Safety Score. It is a weaker fit for investors who need monthly cash flow (MRSAX pays annual); investors hunting double-digit covered-call yields; investors whose main goal is matching SPY total return. This is educational context, not a recommendation to buy or sell.

More on MRSAX

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Tagged: Mutual Fund.

Frequently asked questions

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