CXSE vs VONG Fund Comparison

A comparison between CXSE and VONG based on their expense ratio, growth, holdings and how well they match their benchmark performance.

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Minafi's Take on CXSE vs VONG

Here's an in depth look at the differences between WisdomTree China ex-State-Owned Enterprises Fund ($CXSE) and Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund ETF Shares ($VONG).

To start off, here's a look at the basics of each fund. Keep an eye on the FI Score. That's a custom score from 0 to 100 that we generate based on how good this fund is for the casual investor. Most investors only need a handful of total funds in their portfolio. The higher the score, the more likely this is one of those few. Score alone isn't enough! Keep reading on to see how different (or perhaps similar) these two funds are.

60% FI Score
  • cxse
  • ETF
  • International Stocks
  • China Stock

WisdomTree China ex-State-Owned Enterprises Fund

Expenses: 0.32% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is an OK choice for a China Stock International Stocks fund. See why »

85% FI Score
  • vong
  • ETF
  • US Stocks
  • Large Growth

Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund ETF Shares

Expenses: 0.08% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is an OK choice for a Large Growth US Stocks fund. See why »

Both $CXSE and $VONG are categorized as ETFs. ETFs have an added bonus over mutual funds of being more widely available. Mutual funds are often limited to only the issuing investment brokerage. Since these are both ETFs, you may be able to find these at a wider number of investment apps and websites.

The biggest disadvantage of ETFs is that some platforms only allow you to purchase ETFs in whole shares. So if an ETF is going for $75, you may need to invest in increments of $75. Most 401(k)'s allow for investing down to the penny, but you'll want to verify your platform allows for "fractional ETF Shares".

To learn more about the difference between these two, you can read about the difference between ETFs and Mutual Funds.

When evaluating a fund, the first things I look at are:

  • What it invests in
  • How much it charges in fees
  • How large the fund is

Let's look into these criteria one by one and see if either of these funds stands out.

Fund Holdings Comparison

Minafi's FI Score algorithm takes into account the category and market. The more niche a fund is, the lower the score. This doesn't mean it's a worse fund, but it does mean you should stop and make sure this a fund you need to diversify your portfolio.

CXSE VONG
Market Score 7.8 /10 8.6 /10
Category Score 5.0 /10 8.0 /10
Total 12.8 16.6

A score of 10 means this is a solid market and category that almost every investor will want to have investments in. The lower the score, the more specific the investment. These scores are based on when most investors would add these funds to their portfolio. A score of 10 means that this fund (or one like it) belongs in a three-fund portfolio. The lower the score, the farther down in your portfolio a fund would go.

For each fund we've created a "diversification score" – a metric to indicate how closely each funds asset allocation matches it's benchmark. For example, an S&P 500 fund would have a diversification score of 10 if it's fully in line with the actual S&P 500.

The diversification score for CXSE is 0.0/10, while VONG has a diversification score of 7.1/10.

In other words, VONG more closely matches it's benchmark.

Winner: $VONG

Fee Comparison

Fees are one of the biggest killers of portfolio growth. The difference between a 2% fee and a 0.04% fee over 30 years can result in your portfolio having half the total value!

If you're just getting started investing and learning how fees impact your portfolio, I'd encourage you to read through my free investment course (specifically '2.2 - All About Fees') where I go over all the different types of fees you can be charged and how to lower them.

For these two funds, CXSE has an expense ratio of 0.32% while VONG has an expense ratio of 0.08%. In this case, both of these funds have a similar fee.

Winner: $VONG (barely)

Fund Size Comparison

Both CXSE and VONG have a similar number of assets under management. CXSE has 220 Million in assets under management, while VONG has 7.02 Billion.

Minafi categorizes both of these funds as large funds. Fund size is a good indication of how many other investors trust this fund. A large fund by itself doesn't mean it's a good fund, but it is one thing to consider when figuring out how to choose the right fund.

Winner: tie

Which Should You Choose? CXSE or VONG?

Comparing these two funds isn't an apples to apples comparison. CXSE is a International Stocks China Stock fund, while VONG is a US Stocks Large Growth fund.

If you're aiming to build a diversified, low-fee, tax-optimized portfolio you likely won't be choosing between these two funds since they're different enough.

Running both of these funds through Minafi's FI Score algorithm, gives CXSE a score of 60 and VONG a score of 85.

Winner: Neither, I'd research more funds if you're looking to invest for retirement.

$CXSE

WisdomTree China ex-State-Owned Enterprises Fund

60

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Diversification Score 0 /10
Expense Ratio Score 9 /10
Expense Rating 7 /10
Market Score 8 /10
Category Score 5 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type ETF
Inception Date Sep-19-2012
Exchange NASDAQ
Expense Ratio 0.320%
Net Assets 220 Million
Yield 0.94%
Holdings
Description Info
Market International Stocks
Category China Stock
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 0.38%
  • Communication Services 21.85%
  • Consumer Cyclicals 31.81%
  • Consumer Defensive 8.12%
  • Energy 0.12%
  • Financial Services 7.97%
  • Healthcare 8.43%
  • Industrials 5.38%
  • Real Estate 5.06%
  • Technology 10.19%
  • Utilities 0.68%
Regions
  • Asia Developed 2.45%
  • Asia Emerging 96.65%
  • North America 0.90%

$VONG

Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund ETF Shares

85

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Diversification Score 7 /10
Expense Ratio Score 10 /10
Expense Rating 9 /10
Market Score 9 /10
Category Score 8 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type ETF
Inception Date Dec-22-2015
Exchange NASDAQ
Expense Ratio 0.080%
Net Assets 7.02 Billion
Yield 1.04%
Holdings
Description Info
Market US Stocks
Category Large Growth
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 1.00%
  • Communication Services 11.98%
  • Consumer Cyclicals 14.97%
  • Consumer Defensive 4.74%
  • Energy 0.17%
  • Financial Services 7.53%
  • Healthcare 14.85%
  • Industrials 8.34%
  • Real Estate 2.49%
  • Technology 33.93%
  • Utilities 0.00%
Regions
  • Asia Emerging 0.14%
  • North America 99.86%
  • United Kingdom 0.01%

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