Is ZTR a Friend, Question Mark or Foe?

ZTR is classified a Question Mark under the Income Quality Score framework, based on long-duration distribution and total-return history. This is a research classification, not investment advice.

How safe is the ZTR distribution?

A Question Mark is an income asset with a mixed or incomplete quality record — some income-quality signals are strong while others are weak, or the available history is too short to classify with confidence. It warrants a closer look rather than a conclusion.

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Public snapshot

ZTR Income Quality Score

Name: ZTR Income Quality Score
Creator: Income Quality Score
Keywords: ZTR income quality, ZTR dividend quality, ZTR dividend safety, ZTR distribution history, ZTR dividend score, ZTR analysis, Virtus Total Return Fund Inc. dividend

Virtus Total Return Fund Inc. (ZTR) has an Income Quality Score of 50/100, classified as a Question Mark with high confidence, based on a 10-year income and total-return history.

Virtus Total Return Fund Inc. (ZTR) is a closed-end fund and is part of the IQ Score universe.

July 2026 snapshotAs of June 30, 2026Lookback: 10-year

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Long-term focused10-year income and total-return analysis

Data-drivenObjective scoring across 5 quality, distribution and risk signals

Clear classificationFriends to own. Foes to avoid.

IQ Score

50/100

Question MarkHigh confidence

Asset Type

CEF

Exchange

NYSE

Trailing Yield (TTM)

Not published

No normalized trailing yield is published for closed-end funds in this snapshot.

Rank in CEF Universe

194 of 358

Lookback

10-year

Data as of

June 30, 2026

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About this snapshot
This is the public July 2026 snapshot. Public snapshots are delayed and frozen: once released, a month's scores do not change, and current data is reserved for members. The July 2026 snapshot is published as the public launch snapshot.

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ZTRVirtus Total Return Fund Inc.

50Question MarkHigh confidence

Snapshot: 2026-06
Data as of: 2026-06-30
Lookback: 10-year
Asset type: Closed-End Fund

IQ Score History

Reconstructed monthly scores are computed from current data and methodology. Published snapshots are the frozen monthly releases, marked on the line. Where the methodology changed, the line is broken rather than joined across the change.

Signals & Drivers

IQ signal scores

Each signal is normalised to 0–100 and combined by weight into the overall IQ Score.

Economic Payout Coverage

25/100

Working Capital Preservation

66/100

Distribution Cut Score

10/100

Distribution Trend

51/100

NAV CAGR

100/100

What is working

Working capital preserved over time
Stable NAV over available history

What to watch

Distributions exceed long-term total return
3+ years with a material annual distribution decline

Flags & gates

Chronic Dist Cuts

Distribution Safety

11Years raised

5Years cut

38Years of data

HeldCurrent trend

High confidence (10-year history)

19890.48Held
19900.93Raised
19910.88Lower total
19920.96Raised
19930.96Held
19940.86Lower total
19950.84Lower total
19960.77Lower total
19970.84Raised
19980.7Lower total
19990.82Raised
20000.74Lower total
20010.706Lower total
20020.62Lower total
20030.487Lower total
20040.344Lower total
20050.551Raised
20060.467Lower total
20070.544Raised
20080.417Lower total
20090.396Lower total
20100.396Held
20110.378Lower total
20120.65Raised
20131.021Raised
20141.025Held
20151.11Raised
20161.274Raised
20171.856Raised
20181.356Cut
20191.356Held
20201.205Cut
20211.04Cut
20221.04Held
20230.84Cut
20240.6Cut
20250.6Held
20260.305Partial year

Distributions per year, from the frozen distribution-stability signal. “Lower total” means the calendar-year sum was smaller than the prior year (often a special-distribution rolloff or timing shift), but did not decline more than the engine's 10% material-decline threshold — see Years Cut above for years that did.

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IQ Score is a long-duration quality and distribution-safety classification for income assets. It is research based on historical data, not personal investment advice, and it does not tell you what to buy or sell. Figures reflect a delayed public snapshot and may differ from current data.