ETF Evaluator:
MFS Active Short Duration Income ETF (MFSD)
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Best Performing in Short-Term Bond Over the Last Year
| 3.7% | Overlay Shares Short Term Bond ETF (OVT) |
| 3.7% | AAM SLC Low Duration Income ETF (LODI) |
| 3.0% | SanJac Alpha Low Duration ETF (SJLD) |
| 2.7% | Invesco Short Duration Total ReturnBdETF (GTOS) |
| 2.6% | State Street Short Dur Ig Pub &PrvCrdETF (PRSD) |
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ETF Details
MFS Active Short Duration Income ETF Overview
MFS Active Short Duration Income ETF (MFSD) is an actively managed Taxable Bond Short-Term Bond exchange-traded fund (ETF). MFS launched the ETF in 2026.
The investment seeks total return with an emphasis on current income.
MFS normally invests the fund’s assets primarily in debt instruments. Debt instruments include U.S. government securities, corporate debt instruments, foreign government securities, securitized instruments, and other obligations to repay money borrowed.
About MFS Active Short Duration Income ETF (MFSD)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 0.06 years: Alexander Mackey (2026) and Philipp Burgener (2026). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
MFS Active Short Duration Income ETF has 127 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 28.4% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
MFS Active Short Duration Income ETF is part of the Fixed Income global asset class and is within the Taxable Bond ETF group. MFS Active Short Duration Income ETF has 17.3% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0% There is 0.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 94.6% (77.2% domestic bond, 17.3% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). MFS Active Short Duration Income ETF has 5.5% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $27 million in total assets, which is below the $2 billion average for the Short-Term Bond category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
MFSD Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The MFS Active Short Duration Income ETF expense ratio is below average compared to funds in the Short-Term Bond category. MFS Active Short Duration Income ETF has an expense ratio of 0.25%, which is 10% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a C. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. MFS Active Short Duration Income ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 0%, which indicates that it holds its assets around /years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 74% for the Short-Term Bond category.
Recently, in the month of September 2026, MFS Active Short Duration Income ETF returned 0.0%, which earned it a grade of NA, as the Short-Term Bond category had an average return of -1.0%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
MFS Active Short Duration Income ETF has a trailing yield of 0.00%, which is below the 4.61% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income monthly and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
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MFSD Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 9/30/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| MFSD Return (NAV) | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| MFSD Return (Price) | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Short-Term Bond Avg | -1.0% | -0.8% | 1.4% | 5.0% | 2.3% | 2.4% |
| MFSD Grade (NAV) | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| MFSD Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | na | na | na | na |
MFSD Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 9/30/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| MFSD Return (NAV) | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| MFSD Return (Price) | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Short-Term Bond Avg | 0.3% | 6.3% | 5.1% | 6.0% | -5.2% | -0.4% | 4.3% | 5.5% | 1.3% | 1.7% | 2.3% |
| MFSD Grade (NAV) | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | na |
| R-Squared: | na |
| Standard Deviation: | na |
| Category Risk Index: | na |
| Category Risk Rating: | |
| Total Risk Index: | na |
| Total Risk Rating: | |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | -- |
| Total Assets: | $ 27 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 27 Mil |
| Turnover: | na |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.25% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | N/A |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Monthly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 0.1 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 0.1 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Mackey Alexander (2026), Burgener Philipp (2026) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 9/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 127 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 28.4% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 17.3% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 77.2% |
| Foreign Bond: | 17.3% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 5.5% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | MFS |
| Phone Number: | 800-637-5637 |
| Website: | |
| Inception Date: | September 9, 2026 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.25% (Rating: Below Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.28% |