MLVAX Fees and Costs — MFS Low Volatility Equity Fund, Class A
Data updated: 2026-07-27
The net expense ratio is 0.89%: a 0.50% management fee, a 0.25% 12b-1 fee plus 0.18% other expenses, less a 0.04% fee waiver. This share class carries a maximum front-end sales load of 5.75% and a deferred sales charge of up to 1.00%. In fiscal 2025 the fund paid $17K in broker commissions, 0.0045% of average net assets, and portfolio turnover was 23%.
MLVAX Fees and Expenses
Annual operating expenses and sales charges of MLVAX. Prospectus, as of August 31, 2025.
| Annual operating expenses | |
|---|---|
| Management fee | 0.50% |
| 12b-1 fee | 0.25% |
| Other expenses | 0.18% |
| Gross expense ratio | 0.93% |
| Fee waiver | −0.04% |
| Net expense ratio | 0.89% |
| Sales charges | |
|---|---|
| Max front load | 5.75% |
| Max deferred load | 1.00% |
| Redemption fee | — |
| Expense limitation in place (N-CEN) | Yes |
| Fees waived or reduced during the year | Yes |
| Waived fees subject to recoupment | No |
MLVAX Costs Over Time
On $10,000 invested in MLVAX, assuming 5% a year before costs, total costs come to $1,262 over 5 years, cutting the return by 2.16% a year. Illustration, not a forecast: it assumes today's net expense ratio throughout (a fee waiver may end).
| $10,000 invested | Sell after 1 year | Sell after 3 years | Sell after 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value before costs | $10,500 | $11,576 | $12,763 |
| Sales charges | $673 | $575 | $575 |
| Fund expenses (net expense ratio 0.89%) | $88 | $275 | $478 |
| Trading costs (broker commissions) | $0 | $1 | $2 |
| Lost growth on money paid in costs | $29 | $104 | $207 |
| Total costs | $790 | $956 | $1,262 |
| Value after costs | $9,710 | $10,620 | $11,500 |
| Impact on return, per year | 7.90% | 2.97% | 2.16% |
MLVAX Trading Costs
Brokerage costs reported on SEC Form N-CEN for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025.
- Explicit cost rate (commissions ÷ average net assets): 0.0045%
- Total broker commissions: $17K
- Bought from dealers (principal trades, not a cost): —
- Portfolio turnover (prospectus): 23%
- Securities lending: none during the year
MLVAX Agency Brokers
Commissions paid.
| Broker | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferies LLC | $10K | 60.26% |
| National Financial Services LLC | $4K | 24.11% |
| Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC | $823 | 4.82% |
| Virtu Americas LLC | $556 | 3.26% |
| BMO Capital Markets Corp. | $459 | 2.69% |
| UBS Securities LLC | $429 | 2.51% |
| J.P. Morgan Securities LLC | $145 | 0.85% |
| Liquidnet, Inc. | $126 | 0.74% |
| Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC | $68 | 0.40% |
| BofA Securities, Inc. | $62 | 0.37% |
MFS Low Volatility Equity Fund Share Classes
Net expense ratio and maximum front-end load of each share class, cheapest first.
| Ticker | Class | Net expense ratio | Front load |
|---|---|---|---|
| MLVTX | Class R6 | 0.57% | none |
| MLVHX | Class I | 0.64% | none |
| MLVRX | Class R4 | 0.64% | none |
| MLVAX | Class A | 0.89% | 5.75% |
| MLVPX | Class R3 | 0.89% | none |
| MLVOX | Class R2 | 1.14% | none |
| MLVBX | Class B | 1.64% | none |
| MLVGX | Class C | 1.64% | none |
| MLVMX | Class R1 | 1.64% | none |
For information only. Not investment advice: figures are as reported in SEC filings and may contain errors or be out of date. Past performance does not guarantee future results.