EMF vs IBB Fund Comparison

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

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Minafi's Take on EMF vs IBB

Here's an in depth look at the differences between Templeton Emerging Markets Fund Inc. ($EMF) and iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF ($IBB).

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.

50% FI Score
  • emf
  • Mutual Fund
  • International Stocks
  • Emerging Markets

Templeton Emerging Markets Fund Inc.

Expenses: 1.58% (Better than 0% of similar funds)

This is an OK choice for a Emerging Markets International Stocks fund. See why »

73% FI Score
  • ibb
  • ETF
  • Sector Equity
  • Healthcare

iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF

Expenses: 0.47% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is an OK choice for a Healthcare Sector Equity fund. See why »

$EMF is classified as a Mutual Fund while $IBB is classified as an ETF. 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

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.

EMF IBB
Market Score 10.0 /10 9.2 /10
Category Score 5.0 /10 0.0 /10
Total 15.0 9.2

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: $EMF

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, EMF has an expense ratio of 1.58% while IBB has an expense ratio of 0.47%.

Winner: $IBB

Fund Size Comparison

Both EMF and IBB have a similar number of assets under management. EMF has in assets under management, while IBB has 8.84 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? EMF or IBB?

Comparing these two funds isn't an apples to apples comparison. EMF is a International Stocks Emerging Markets fund, while IBB is a Sector Equity Healthcare 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 EMF a score of 50 and IBB a score of 73.

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

$EMF

Templeton Emerging Markets Fund Inc.

50

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Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Expense Ratio Score 3 /10
Expense Rating 0 /10
Market Score 10 /10
Category Score 5 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type Mutual Fund
Inception Date Feb-27-1987
Exchange NYSE
Expense Ratio 1.580%
Net Assets
Yield 0.00%
Holdings
Description Info
Market International Stocks
Category Emerging Markets
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 4.04%
  • Communication Services 18.86%
  • Consumer Cyclical 15.05%
  • Consumer Defensive 4.71%
  • Energy 6.01%
  • Financial Services 23.86%
  • Healthcare 1.41%
  • Industrials 0.64%
  • Real Estate 0.00%
  • Technology 25.43%
  • Utilities 0.00%
Regions
  • Africa/Middle East 3.42%
  • Asia Developed 29.91%
  • Asia Emerging 40.43%
  • Europe Developed 0.30%
  • Europe Emerging 9.14%
  • Latin America 11.21%
  • North America 2.73%
  • United Kingdom 2.86%

$IBB

iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF

73

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Diversification Score 10 /10
Expense Ratio Score 8 /10
Expense Rating 5 /10
Market Score 9 /10
Category Score 0 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type ETF
Inception Date Feb-5-2001
Exchange NASDAQ
Expense Ratio 0.470%
Net Assets 8.84 Billion
Yield 0.20%
Holdings
Description Info
Market Sector Equity
Category Healthcare
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 0.07%
  • Communication Services 0.00%
  • Consumer Cyclicals 0.00%
  • Consumer Defensive 0.00%
  • Energy 0.00%
  • Financial Services 0.00%
  • Healthcare 99.93%
  • Industrials 0.00%
  • Real Estate 0.00%
  • Technology 0.00%
  • Utilities 0.00%
Regions
  • Africa/Middle East 0.11%
  • Asia Developed 0.16%
  • Asia Emerging 2.44%
  • Europe Developed 3.50%
  • North America 92.24%
  • United Kingdom 1.54%

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