EEMA vs JOAMX Fund Comparison

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

Group Created with Sketch.

Minafi's Take on EEMA vs JOAMX

Here's an in depth look at the differences between iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF ($EEMA) and JOHCM Asia Ex-Japan Equity Fund Institutional Shares ($JOAMX).

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
  • eema
  • ETF
  • International Stocks
  • Asia/Pacific ex-Japan Stock

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

Expenses: 0.50% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is an OK choice for a Asia/Pacific ex-Japan Stock International Stocks fund. See why »

29% FI Score
  • joamx
  • Mutual Fund
  • International Stocks
  • Asia/Pacific ex-Japan Stock

JOHCM Asia Ex-Japan Equity Fund Institutional Shares

Expenses: 0.80% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is a bad choice for a Asia/Pacific ex-Japan Stock International Stocks fund. See why »

$EEMA is classified as an ETF while $JOAMX is classified as a Mutual Fund. Even though one of these is a mutual fund and the other is an ETF, that doesn't matter too much for their holdings. Both ETFs and mutual funds are just containers to hold lots of investments inside of them.

The biggest differences between these two is where they may be offered. ETFs are more widely availble from a larger number of investment apps and websites. Mutual funds, on the other hand, are generally offered by the platform they're issued by (Fidelity funds on Fidelity, Vanguard funds on Vanguard). Usually 401(k)'s will offer both ETFs and Mutual Funds. If you're investing outside of a 401(k), I'd recommend you verify the fees associated with ETF and mutual fund transactions. Some platforms charge an additional fee to purchase a mutual fund.

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

Both of these funds are International Stocks Asia/Pacific ex-Japan Stock funds – which means they're likely both investing in about the same investments behind the scenes.

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.

EEMA JOAMX
Market Score 6.8 /10 0.2 /10
Category Score 5.0 /10 5.0 /10
Total 11.8 5.2

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.

Winner: $EEMA

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, EEMA has an expense ratio of 0.50% while JOAMX has an expense ratio of 0.80%.

Winner: $EEMA

Fund Size Comparison

One place these two funds differ is in their total assets under management. This 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.

In the case of these two funds, EEMA is a medium fund with 453 Million in assets under management. JOAMX, on the other hand, is a small fund with 4.24 Million in assets under management.

Winner: $EEMA, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

Which Should You Choose? EEMA or JOAMX?

Since both of these funds are International Stocks Asia/Pacific ex-Japan Stock funds, you'll most likely only need to invest in one of these funds – not both. Running both of these funds through Minafi's FI Score algorithm, gives EEMA a score of 60 and JOAMX a score of 29.

Neither of these funds has an FI Score above 90 – which is a red flag. I'd look into more funds to find one with a higher FI Score.

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

$EEMA

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

60

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Diversification Score 5 /10
Expense Ratio Score 8 /10
Expense Rating 5 /10
Market Score 7 /10
Category Score 5 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type ETF
Inception Date Feb-8-2012
Exchange NASDAQ
Expense Ratio 0.500%
Net Assets 453 Million
Yield 2.10%
Holdings
Description Info
Market International Stocks
Category Asia/Pacific ex-Japan Stock
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 4.90%
  • Communication Services 14.03%
  • Consumer Cyclicals 17.04%
  • Consumer Defensive 6.86%
  • Energy 4.07%
  • Financial Services 17.75%
  • Healthcare 4.25%
  • Industrials 5.32%
  • Real Estate 3.29%
  • Technology 20.28%
  • Utilities 2.20%
Regions
  • Asia Developed 32.51%
  • Asia Emerging 67.39%
  • North America 0.10%

$JOAMX

JOHCM Asia Ex-Japan Equity Fund Institutional Shares

29

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Expense Ratio Score 7 /10
Expense Rating 2 /10
Market Score 0 /10
Category Score 5 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type Mutual Fund
Inception Date Mar-28-2014
Exchange NMFQS
Expense Ratio 0.800%
Net Assets 4.24 Million
Yield 2.12%
Holdings
Description Info
Market International Stocks
Category Asia/Pacific ex-Japan Stock

Adam says: Learn how to confidently invest for retirement!

Join the Minafi Investor Bootcamp to see how.

This 10-course bootcamp starts at only $10 for everything!

Minafi - The intersection of FI, minimalism & mindfulness.

Don't miss out on new posts, courses, interactive articles and more!

Join & Get Your First Course Free

© 2024   Adam Fortuna

Site Map
Triangle Graduation Cap Angle Down Book regular Phone laptop regular fire regular fire regular search regular Acorn duotone Seedling duotone thumbs down duo