IGNAX vs OBSOX Fund Comparison

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

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Minafi's Take on IGNAX vs OBSOX

Here's an in depth look at the differences between Ivy Natural Resources Fund Class A($IGNAX) and Oberweis Small-Cap Opportunities Fund($OBSOX).

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.

  • ignax
  • Mutual Fund
  • Sector Equity
  • Basic Materials

Ivy Natural Resources Fund Class A

Expenses: 1.59% (Better than 0% of similar funds)

This is a bad choice for a Basic Materials Sector Equity fund. See why »

  • obsox
  • Mutual Fund
  • US Stocks
  • Small Growth

Oberweis Small-Cap Opportunities Fund

Expenses: 1.55% (Better than 0% of similar funds)

This is a bad choice for a Small Growth US Stocks fund. See why »

Both $IGNAX and $OBSOX are categorized as Mutual Funds. Mutual funds are often offered by 401(k) platforms and are essentially the same as ETFs. Mutual funds are generally offered by an investment platform – Fidelity has Fidelity mutual funds, Vanguard has Vanguard mutual funds. Mutual funds are ideal for retirement investing since you can invest any amount. That allows you to invest every last cent and benefit from the market.

The biggest disadvantage of mutual funds is that you're usually limited to the funds on your investment platform. If you're investing on Fidelity, you'll want to pick Fidelity mutual funds (or any ETF). Same with Vanguard. Some platforms offer mutual funds from other platforms, but they may charge a purchse or redemption fee. I'd recommend using the same platform as your funds – or stick to ETFs.

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.

IGNAXOBSOX
Market Score 4.4 /10 0.4 /10
Category Score 0.0 /10 5.0 /10
Total4.45.4

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: $OBSOX

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, IGNAX has an expense ratio of 1.59% while OBSOX has an expense ratio of 1.55%. In this case, both of these funds have a similar fee.

Winner: $OBSOX (barely)

Fund Size Comparison

Both IGNAX and OBSOX have a similar number of assets under management. IGNAX has 210 Million in assets under management, while OBSOX has 11.8 Million.

Minafi categorizes both of these funds as small 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? IGNAX or OBSOX?

Comparing these two funds isn't an apples to apples comparison. IGNAX is a Sector EquityBasic Materials fund, while OBSOX is a US StocksSmall Growth 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 IGNAX a score of 22 and OBSOX a score of 13.

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

$IGNAX

Ivy Natural Resources Fund Class A

22

Read More
Ratings
Rating TypeRating
Expense Ratio Score2/10
Expense Rating0/10
Market Score4/10
Category Score0/10
Overview
OverviewDetails
Fund TypeMutual Fund
Inception DateJan-2-1997
ExchangeNMFQS
Expense Ratio1.590%
Net Assets210 Million
Yield2.29%
Holdings
DescriptionInfo
MarketSector Equity
CategoryBasic Materials
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 41.83%
  • Communication Services 0.00%
  • Consumer Cyclical 4.35%
  • Consumer Defensive 0.00%
  • Energy 37.52%
  • Financial Services 0.00%
  • Healthcare 0.00%
  • Industrials 12.43%
  • Real Estate 0.00%
  • Technology 1.40%
  • Utilities 2.48%
Regions
  • Asia Emerging 2.25%
  • Europe Developed 7.23%
  • Latin America 1.19%
  • North America 79.16%
  • United Kingdom 10.17%

$OBSOX

Oberweis Small-Cap Opportunities Fund

13

Read More
Ratings
Rating TypeRating
Expense Ratio Score2/10
Expense Rating0/10
Market Score0/10
Category Score5/10
Overview
OverviewDetails
Fund TypeMutual Fund
Inception DateSep-16-1996
ExchangeNMFQS
Expense Ratio1.550%
Net Assets11.8 Million
Yield0.00%
Holdings
DescriptionInfo
MarketUS Stocks
CategorySmall Growth
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 1.34%
  • Communication Services 3.81%
  • Consumer Cyclical 12.84%
  • Consumer Defensive 5.44%
  • Energy 2.15%
  • Financial Services 7.70%
  • Healthcare 19.11%
  • Industrials 15.71%
  • Real Estate 0.00%
  • Technology 31.91%
  • Utilities 0.00%
Regions
  • Africa/Middle East 1.43%
  • North America 98.57%

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