If you want maximum headline income
→ MRK
MRK leads yield (~8.0%) and also leads 1Y total return — income without an obvious total-return penalty in this window.
Two income funds compared side-by-side using the available DivAgent snapshot. See which one fits your yield strategy.
8-second verdict · always free
If you want maximum headline income
→ MRK
MRK leads yield (~8.0%) and also leads 1Y total return — income without an obvious total-return penalty in this window.
If you want total return (paid + price)
→ MRK
MRK leads 1Y total return (~61.5%) while also leading yield in this pair.
If you need sleep-at-night sizing
→ BIL
BIL is Tier 1 vs Tier 2 — the structurally lower-risk pick in this matchup.
Neither fund currently meets this page's high-yield and NAV-decline screen. That result does not establish distribution sustainability or composition; those require separate issuer evidence.
When the edge flips — yield, total return, or NAV path — we email the updated tape. Plus the free Yield Trap cheat sheet: what high-yield funds actually paid vs what their prices did.
Path A · Still deciding
Related battlesMore BIL and MRK matchups in the same decision space — different trade-offs.
Path B · Picked a side
Full ticker auditsDeep-dive BIL or MRK: distribution history, risk tier, peer set.
Audit MRK →Path C · Want a system
Leaderboard & portfoliosSee how income funds rank by risk tier and matrix cell — then track holdings free.
What this means: BIL is ratedTier 1 (Cornerstone)while MRK is ratedTier 2 (Yield Plus).BIL is structurally lower risk than MRK.
| Metric | BIL | MRK |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 3.34% | 61.50% |
| NAV Change (1Y) | -0.34% | 61.50% |
| Max Drawdown | -0.54% | -33.88% |
| Beta | N/A | N/A |
* Returns include dividend reinvestment. Drawdown calculates peak-to-trough decline over trailing 12 months.
The comparison remains available, but DivAgent will not assign a winner until both funds have current yield, total return, risk tier, drawdown, and fee data. Missing values are shown as N/A in the tables below.
Every investor has a unique risk profile. Use our Portfolio Intelligence tool to see the impact of adding these ETFs to your holdings.