EFNL vs KF Fund Comparison

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

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Minafi's Take on EFNL vs KF

Here's an in depth look at the differences between iShares MSCI Finland ETF ($EFNL) and Korea Fund Inc ($KF).

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.

47% FI Score
  • efnl
  • ETF
  • International Stocks
  • Other Region

iShares MSCI Finland ETF

Expenses: 0.53% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is a bad choice for a Other Region International Stocks fund. See why »

46% FI Score
  • kf
  • Mutual Fund
  • International Stocks
  • Other Region

Korea Fund Inc

Expenses: 1.25% (Better than 0% of similar funds)

This is a bad choice for a Other Region International Stocks fund. See why »

$EFNL is classified as an ETF while $KF 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 Other Region 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.

EFNL KF
Market Score 4.2 /10 10.0 /10
Category Score 5.0 /10 5.0 /10
Total 9.2 15.0

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: $KF

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, EFNL has an expense ratio of 0.53% while KF has an expense ratio of 1.25%.

Winner: $EFNL

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, EFNL is a small fund with 28.7 Million in assets under management. KF, on the other hand, is a large fund with in assets under management.

Winner: $KF, Korea Fund Inc

Which Should You Choose? EFNL or KF?

Since both of these funds are International Stocks Other Region 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 EFNL a score of 47 and KF a score of 46.

Since both of these have a similar FI Score, the difference between these two if minimal. A higher FI Score doesn't mean future growth will be higher, but it does mean that it better fits criteria for a good fund. 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.

$EFNL

iShares MSCI Finland ETF

47

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Diversification Score 0 /10
Expense Ratio Score 6 /10
Expense Rating 5 /10
Market Score 4 /10
Category Score 5 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type ETF
Inception Date Jan-25-2012
Exchange BATS
Expense Ratio 0.530%
Net Assets 28.7 Million
Yield 6.07%
Holdings
Description Info
Market International Stocks
Category Other Region
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 16.52%
  • Communication Services 5.81%
  • Consumer Cyclicals 5.72%
  • Consumer Defensive 3.92%
  • Energy 4.56%
  • Financial Services 9.75%
  • Healthcare 4.30%
  • Industrials 27.20%
  • Real Estate 0.66%
  • Technology 16.97%
  • Utilities 4.58%
Regions
  • Europe Developed 100.00%

$KF

Korea Fund Inc

46

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Expense Ratio Score 1 /10
Expense Rating 0 /10
Market Score 10 /10
Category Score 5 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type Mutual Fund
Inception Date Aug-29-1984
Exchange NYSE
Expense Ratio 1.250%
Net Assets
Yield 0.00%
Holdings
Description Info
Market International Stocks
Category Other Region
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 7.16%
  • Communication Services 12.27%
  • Consumer Cyclical 12.36%
  • Consumer Defensive 6.00%
  • Energy 1.78%
  • Financial Services 8.23%
  • Healthcare 1.80%
  • Industrials 8.41%
  • Real Estate 0.00%
  • Technology 41.98%
  • Utilities 0.00%
Regions
  • Asia Developed 100.00%

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