FNDC vs OAREX Fund Comparison

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

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Minafi's Take on FNDC vs OAREX

Here's an in depth look at the differences between Schwab Fundamental International Small Company Index ETF ($FNDC) and Oakmark International Small Cap Service Class ($OAREX).

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.

71% FI Score
  • fndc
  • ETF
  • International Stocks
  • Mid-Cap Blend

Schwab Fundamental International Small Company Index ETF

Expenses: 0.39% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is an OK choice for a Mid-Cap Blend International Stocks fund. See why »

38% FI Score
  • oarex
  • Mutual Fund
  • International Stocks
  • Mid-Cap Blend

Oakmark International Small Cap Service Class

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

This is a bad choice for a Mid-Cap Blend International Stocks fund. See why »

$FNDC is classified as an ETF while $OAREX 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 Mid-Cap Blend 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.

FNDC OAREX
Market Score 8.3 /10 7.1 /10
Category Score 5.0 /10 5.0 /10
Total 13.3 12.1

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: $FNDC

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, FNDC has an expense ratio of 0.39% while OAREX has an expense ratio of 1.58%.

Winner: $FNDC

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, FNDC is a large fund with 1.79 Billion in assets under management. OAREX, on the other hand, is a medium fund with 1.1 Billion in assets under management.

Winner: $FNDC, Schwab Fundamental International Small Company Index ETF

Which Should You Choose? FNDC or OAREX?

Since both of these funds are International Stocks Mid-Cap Blend 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 FNDC a score of 71 and OAREX a score of 38.

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.

$FNDC

Schwab Fundamental International Small Company Index ETF

71

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Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Diversification Score 6 /10
Expense Ratio Score 9 /10
Expense Rating 6 /10
Market Score 8 /10
Category Score 5 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type ETF
Inception Date Aug-15-2013
Exchange NYSE ARCA
Expense Ratio 0.390%
Net Assets 1.79 Billion
Yield 3.29%
Holdings
Description Info
Market International Stocks
Category Mid-Cap Blend
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 10.07%
  • Communication Services 5.30%
  • Consumer Cyclicals 15.56%
  • Consumer Defensive 8.11%
  • Energy 3.01%
  • Financial Services 11.40%
  • Healthcare 6.39%
  • Industrials 23.97%
  • Real Estate 4.62%
  • Technology 8.98%
  • Utilities 2.59%
Regions
  • Africa/Middle East 1.28%
  • Asia Developed 9.84%
  • Asia Emerging 1.27%
  • Australasia 6.29%
  • Europe Developed 26.34%
  • Europe Emerging 1.31%
  • Japan 36.98%
  • Latin America 0.23%
  • North America 7.59%
  • United Kingdom 8.87%

$OAREX

Oakmark International Small Cap Service Class

38

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Expense Ratio Score 2 /10
Expense Rating 0 /10
Market Score 7 /10
Category Score 5 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type Mutual Fund
Inception Date Nov-1-1995
Exchange NMFQS
Expense Ratio 1.580%
Net Assets 1.1 Billion
Yield 0.14%
Holdings
Description Info
Market International Stocks
Category Mid-Cap Blend
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 3.27%
  • Communication Services 10.03%
  • Consumer Cyclical 10.59%
  • Consumer Defensive 0.91%
  • Energy 0.00%
  • Financial Services 15.53%
  • Healthcare 8.24%
  • Industrials 43.30%
  • Real Estate 1.19%
  • Technology 6.93%
  • Utilities 0.00%
Regions
  • Asia Developed 5.34%
  • Asia Emerging 3.09%
  • Australasia 7.59%
  • Europe Developed 48.17%
  • Japan 4.49%
  • Latin America 4.60%
  • North America 4.70%
  • United Kingdom 22.03%

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