ISCF vs JOSAX Fund Comparison

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

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Minafi's Take on ISCF vs JOSAX

Here's an in depth look at the differences between iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Intl Small-Cap ETF ($ISCF) and JOHCM International Small Cap Equity Fund Class II ($JOSAX).

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.

48% FI Score
  • iscf
  • ETF
  • International Stocks
  • Mid-Cap Blend

iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Intl Small-Cap ETF

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

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

26% FI Score
  • josax
  • Mutual Fund
  • International Stocks
  • Mid-Cap Blend

JOHCM International Small Cap Equity Fund Class II

Expenses: 1.49% (Better than 0% of similar funds)

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

$ISCF is classified as an ETF while $JOSAX 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.

ISCF JOSAX
Market Score 1.7 /10 3.1 /10
Category Score 5.0 /10 5.0 /10
Total 6.7 8.1

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: $JOSAX

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, ISCF has an expense ratio of 0.40% while JOSAX has an expense ratio of 1.49%.

Winner: $ISCF

Fund Size Comparison

Both ISCF and JOSAX have a similar number of assets under management. ISCF has 116 Million in assets under management, while JOSAX has 172 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? ISCF or JOSAX?

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 ISCF a score of 48 and JOSAX a score of 26.

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.

$ISCF

iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Intl Small-Cap ETF

48

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Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Diversification Score 6 /10
Expense Ratio Score 8 /10
Expense Rating 6 /10
Market Score 2 /10
Category Score 5 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type ETF
Inception Date Apr-28-2015
Exchange NYSE ARCA
Expense Ratio 0.400%
Net Assets 116 Million
Yield 3.36%
Holdings
Description Info
Market International Stocks
Category Mid-Cap Blend
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 11.29%
  • Communication Services 3.56%
  • Consumer Cyclicals 11.76%
  • Consumer Defensive 6.29%
  • Energy 1.55%
  • Financial Services 8.36%
  • Healthcare 11.54%
  • Industrials 16.54%
  • Real Estate 11.24%
  • Technology 15.69%
  • Utilities 2.18%
Regions
  • Africa/Middle East 1.31%
  • Asia Developed 3.75%
  • Asia Emerging 0.48%
  • Australasia 8.90%
  • Europe Developed 26.77%
  • Europe Emerging 0.39%
  • Japan 30.19%
  • North America 9.30%
  • United Kingdom 18.91%

$JOSAX

JOHCM International Small Cap Equity Fund Class II

26

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Expense Ratio Score 3 /10
Expense Rating 0 /10
Market Score 3 /10
Category Score 5 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type Mutual Fund
Inception Date Oct-1-2013
Exchange NMFQS
Expense Ratio 1.490%
Net Assets 172 Million
Yield 1.02%
Holdings
Description Info
Market International Stocks
Category Mid-Cap Blend
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 12.74%
  • Communication Services 4.56%
  • Consumer Cyclical 13.58%
  • Consumer Defensive 10.68%
  • Energy 0.20%
  • Financial Services 7.53%
  • Healthcare 15.03%
  • Industrials 23.06%
  • Real Estate 0.00%
  • Technology 12.63%
  • Utilities 0.00%
Regions
  • Asia Developed 16.79%
  • Asia Emerging 4.24%
  • Australasia 1.63%
  • Europe Developed 37.33%
  • Japan 21.40%
  • Latin America 1.86%
  • North America 4.35%
  • United Kingdom 12.41%

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