How To Use A Mutual Funds Screener
To use a mutual fund screener, start with the filters you will not compromise on (fund category or region, and a maximum expense ratio), then add risk and return filters (maximum volatility, minimum 3-year and 5-year return), and finally compare the few funds that remain side by side. The FundXLS mutual fund screener on MarketXLS supports each of these steps with filters for sector, region, country, expense ratio, volatility, dividend yield, 1-, 3-, and 5-year returns, and fund scores. Free users see the first 10 matching funds; paid users see the full result list.
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The order matters. Cost and category filters remove most unsuitable funds quickly, and performance filters are more meaningful once you are comparing funds of the same type.
What is a mutual fund screener?
A mutual fund screener is a tool that filters the full universe of mutual funds down to the ones that meet criteria you set, such as cost, category, risk, and past returns. It shows the matching funds in a table so you can sort and compare them instead of researching funds one at a time.
Which filters to use in a mutual fund screener
The filters that matter most are cost, category and allocation, risk, and multi-year performance. Use them in this order:
- Category, region, and sector exposure. Decide what the fund should hold (for example US large-cap, international, or a sector) before looking at returns. Comparing a bond fund's return with a tech fund's return tells you little.
- Expense ratio. Set a maximum. Fees are one of the few things known in advance, and they come out of returns every year.
- Risk. Set a maximum volatility that matches your risk tolerance. A diversification filter (for example, no single sector above 30%) helps avoid funds concentrated in one area.
- Performance. Use 3-year and 5-year minimum returns rather than 1-year alone, since a single year can reflect one market move. Past performance does not predict future results; it is a starting filter, not a verdict.
- Income. If you need income, add a minimum dividend yield.
How to evaluate the funds that pass the screen
After screening, compare the shortlist on strategy and holdings, not just the numbers:
- Investment strategy. Check whether each fund is actively managed or an index fund, and whether its style (growth, value, income) matches what you want.
- Portfolio allocation. Look at the asset classes, sectors, and top holdings to confirm the fund's risk matches its label.
- Overlap with what you already own. Two funds with different names can hold many of the same stocks. The mutual fund overlap calculator shows shared holdings between two funds.
- Side-by-side comparison. Use the mutual fund comparison tool to line up costs, returns, and risk for two funds.
Using a screener to check your existing funds
A mutual fund screener also works as a check on funds you already hold. Look up each fund and see whether it would still pass your cost, risk, and return filters today. A fund that no longer passes is a candidate for review, not an automatic sale; consider taxes and your overall allocation first.
Researching mutual funds with MarketXLS
MarketXLS offers two ways to research mutual funds. The web tools under FundXLS (the screener, comparison tool, and overlap calculator) run in the browser with no setup. The MarketXLS add-in for Excel and Google Sheets pulls fund data into your own spreadsheet so you can build custom comparisons alongside your other holdings.
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This article is for education and is not investment advice.
