GII vs MSEPX Fund Comparison

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

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Minafi's Take on GII vs MSEPX

Here's an in depth look at the differences between SPDR S&P Global Infrastructure ETF($GII) and Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund, Inc. Emerging Markets Portfolio Class C($MSEPX).

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.

  • gii
  • ETF
  • Allocation
  • Global Equity

SPDR S&P Global Infrastructure ETF

Expenses: 0.40% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is an OK choice for a Global Equity Allocation fund. See why »

  • msepx
  • Mutual Fund
  • International Stocks
  • Emerging Markets

Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund, Inc. Emerging Markets Portfolio Class C

Expenses: 2.15% (Better than 0% of similar funds)

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

$GII is classified as an ETF while $MSEPX 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 available 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.

GIIMSEPX
Market Score 6.4 /10 6.3 /10
Category Score 5.0 /10 5.0 /10
Total11.411.3

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: $GII

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, GII has an expense ratio of 0.40% while MSEPX has an expense ratio of 2.15%.

Winner: $GII

Fund Size Comparison

Both GII and MSEPX have a similar number of assets under management. GII has 340 Million in assets under management, while MSEPX has 600 Million.

Minafi categorizes both of these funds as medium 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? GII or MSEPX?

Comparing these two funds isn't an apples to apples comparison. GII is a AllocationGlobal Equity fund, while MSEPX is a International StocksEmerging Markets 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 GII a score of 65 and MSEPX a score of 32.

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

$GII

SPDR S&P Global Infrastructure ETF

65

Read More
Ratings
Rating TypeRating
Diversification Score5/10
Expense Ratio Score9/10
Expense Rating6/10
Market Score6/10
Category Score5/10
Overview
OverviewDetails
Fund TypeETF
Inception DateJan-25-2007
ExchangeNYSE ARCA
Expense Ratio0.400%
Net Assets340 Million
Yield4.17%
Holdings
DescriptionInfo
MarketAllocation
CategoryGlobal Equity
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 0.00%
  • Communication Services 0.00%
  • Consumer Cyclicals 0.00%
  • Consumer Defensive 0.00%
  • Energy 17.91%
  • Financial Services 0.00%
  • Healthcare 0.00%
  • Industrials 36.58%
  • Real Estate 0.00%
  • Technology 0.00%
  • Utilities 45.50%
Regions
  • Asia Developed 0.44%
  • Asia Emerging 4.75%
  • Australasia 12.36%
  • Europe Developed 22.07%
  • Latin America 3.93%
  • North America 53.31%
  • United Kingdom 3.14%

$MSEPX

Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund, Inc. Emerging Markets Portfolio Class C

32

Read More
Ratings
Rating TypeRating
Expense Ratio Score1/10
Expense Rating0/10
Market Score6/10
Category Score5/10
Overview
OverviewDetails
Fund TypeMutual Fund
Inception DateSep-25-1992
ExchangeNMFQS
Expense Ratio2.150%
Net Assets600 Million
Yield0.00%
Holdings
DescriptionInfo
MarketInternational Stocks
CategoryEmerging Markets
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 4.51%
  • Communication Services 12.53%
  • Consumer Cyclical 13.83%
  • Consumer Defensive 15.04%
  • Energy 2.79%
  • Financial Services 22.89%
  • Healthcare 6.88%
  • Industrials 2.81%
  • Real Estate 1.82%
  • Technology 16.20%
  • Utilities 0.71%
Regions
  • Africa/Middle East 3.77%
  • Asia Developed 19.08%
  • Asia Emerging 50.29%
  • Europe Developed 2.28%
  • Europe Emerging 9.88%
  • Latin America 12.71%
  • North America 1.80%
  • United Kingdom 0.20%

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