- ISIN
- US9692514048
- CUSIP
- 969251404
- Issuer
- William Blair
- Inception Date
- Mar 25, 2008
- Category
- Emerging Markets Diversified
- Min. Investment
- $500,000
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Multi-Asset
- Asset Class Size
- Large-Cap
- Asset Class Style
- Growth
Share Price Chart
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Performance
WBELX Performance Chart
William Blair Emerging Markets Leaders Fund (WBELX) is up 18.0% since the beginning of the year. WBELX is currently trading at $14 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of WBELX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,105.
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Returns By Period
William Blair Emerging Markets Leaders Fund (WBELX) has returned 17.95% so far this year and 38.22% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, WBELX has returned 8.20% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.65% annually.
William Blair Emerging Markets Leaders Fund
- 1D
- -0.73%
- 1M
- 6.71%
- YTD
- 17.95%
- 6M
- 19.33%
- 1Y
- 38.22%
- 3Y*
- 17.61%
- 5Y*
- 2.02%
- 10Y*
- 8.20%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- 0.41%
- 1M
- 4.48%
- YTD
- 10.79%
- 6M
- 10.60%
- 1Y
- 27.02%
- 3Y*
- 21.07%
- 5Y*
- 12.39%
- 10Y*
- 13.65%
WBELX Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Mar 27, 2008, WBELX's average daily return is +0.02%, while the average monthly return is +0.50%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 11.6 years.
Historically, 57% of months were positive and 43% were negative. The best month was May 2009 with a return of +18.1%, while the worst month was Oct 2008 at -28.5%. The longest winning streak lasted 13 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 6 months.
On a daily basis, WBELX closed higher 51% of trading days. The best single day was Oct 13, 2008 with a return of +14.5%, while the worst single day was Oct 15, 2008 at -12.3%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 6.64% | 3.64% | -11.71% | 10.88% | 7.58% | 1.33% | 17.95% | ||||||
| 2025 | 1.30% | -1.81% | 0.76% | 1.29% | 5.22% | 4.55% | 0.19% | 2.80% | 7.42% | 4.64% | -3.85% | 1.70% | 26.44% |
| 2024 | -4.22% | 4.41% | 0.80% | -1.93% | 1.96% | 3.62% | -0.66% | 2.86% | 5.13% | -3.26% | -2.31% | -0.18% | 5.86% |
| 2023 | 7.93% | -6.24% | 2.73% | -2.54% | -0.71% | 4.06% | 2.18% | -5.28% | -3.80% | -4.44% | 9.94% | 3.65% | 6.14% |
| 2022 | -4.24% | -5.44% | 0.29% | -9.14% | -1.50% | -5.65% | -0.23% | 0.69% | -9.05% | -0.76% | 10.53% | -3.55% | -25.85% |
| 2021 | 3.54% | 0.73% | -3.90% | 1.20% | 2.08% | 0.29% | -7.76% | 3.46% | -4.26% | 1.11% | -6.12% | 2.70% | -7.51% |
Benchmark Metrics
William Blair Emerging Markets Leaders Fund has an annualized alpha of -3.04%, beta of 0.79, and R2 of 0.57 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since March 28, 2008.
- This fund participated in 104.13% of S&P 500 Index downside but only 78.81% of its upside - more exposed to losses than it benefited from rallies.
- This fund had an annualized alpha of -3.04% versus S&P 500 Index - delivering less than market exposure alone would predict.
- Alpha
- -3.04%
- Beta
- 0.79
- R²
- 0.57
- Upside Capture
- 78.81%
- Downside Capture
- 104.13%
Expense Ratio
WBELX has a high expense ratio of 1.05%, indicating above-average management fees.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
WBELX ranks 53 for risk / return — on par with similar mutual funds. You're getting a typical balance of risk and reward. Not a standout, but not a red flag either — a reasonable choice if other factors align with your goals.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for William Blair Emerging Markets Leaders Fund (WBELX) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
| WBELX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.10 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.20 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.40 | 1.41 | -0.02 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.69 | 2.98 | -0.30 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.84 | 13.78 | -3.94 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
Dividends
Dividend History
William Blair Emerging Markets Leaders Fund provided a 0.75% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.10 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $0.10 | $0.10 | $0.02 | $0.07 | $0.08 | $0.93 | $0.13 | $0.09 | $0.90 | $0.07 | $0.01 | $0.04 |
Dividend yield | 0.75% | 0.88% | 0.25% | 0.78% | 0.99% | 8.25% | 1.00% | 0.88% | 10.92% | 0.67% | 0.13% | 0.46% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for William Blair Emerging Markets Leaders Fund. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.10 | $0.10 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.02 | $0.02 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.07 | $0.07 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.08 | $0.08 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.93 | $0.93 |
Drawdowns
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.
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Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the William Blair Emerging Markets Leaders Fund. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.
The maximum drawdown for the William Blair Emerging Markets Leaders Fund was 64.98%, occurring on Nov 20, 2008. Recovery took 1424 trading sessions.
The current William Blair Emerging Markets Leaders Fund drawdown is 0.73%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -64.98%Nov 2008 | 6mo 4d | 5y 8mo | 6y 2moMay 2008 - Jul 2014 |
Bear market2022 | -45.26%Oct 2022 | 1y 8mo | 3y 7mo | 5y 3moFeb 2021 - Jun 2026 |
COVID crash2020 | -33.30%Mar 2020 | 2mo 2d | 3mo 18d | 5mo 20dJan 2020 - Jul 2020 |
2016 bear market2016 | -31.58%Jan 2016 | 9mo 12d | 1y 5mo | 2y 3moApr 2015 - Jul 2017 |
Rate-hike selloffLate 2018 | -28.17%Oct 2018 | 9mo 3d | 1y 2mo | 1y 11moJan 2018 - Jan 2020 |
Drawdown Indicators
| WBELX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -64.98% | -56.78% | -8.20% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -14.72% | -9.10% | -5.62% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -16.98% | -18.90% | +1.92% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -39.63% | -25.43% | -14.20% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -45.26% | -33.92% | -11.34% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.73% | -0.33% | -0.40% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -18.78% | -10.72% | -8.06% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 4.01% | 1.97% | +2.04% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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