BADEX vs. DESIX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about BlackRock Defensive Advantage Emerging Markets Fund (BADEX) and DFA Emerging Markets Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio (DESIX).

BADEX is managed by BlackRock. It was launched on Dec 20, 2020. DESIX is managed by Dimensional. It was launched on Mar 26, 2018.

Performance

BADEX vs. DESIX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in BlackRock Defensive Advantage Emerging Markets Fund (BADEX) and DFA Emerging Markets Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio (DESIX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

BADEX vs. DESIX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
BADEX BlackRock Defensive Advantage Emerging Markets Fund	-0.28%	13.95%	10.15%	11.67%	-11.34%	4.49%	2.32%
DESIX DFA Emerging Markets Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio	-1.30%	27.87%	6.66%	14.24%	-18.07%	24.59%	3.03%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BADEX achieves a -0.28% return, which is significantly higher than DESIX's -1.30% return.

BADEX

• 1D: -0.65%
• 1M: -7.80%
• YTD: -0.28%
• 6M: 2.63%
• 1Y: 10.81%
• 3Y*: 10.26%
• 5Y*: 4.56%
• 10Y*: —

DESIX

• 1D: -1.13%
• 1M: -11.90%
• YTD: -1.30%
• 6M: 0.35%
• 1Y: 24.39%
• 3Y*: 13.31%
• 5Y*: 8.46%
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

BADEX vs. DESIX - Expense Ratio Comparison

BADEX has a 1.06% expense ratio, which is higher than DESIX's 0.46% expense ratio.

BADEX

BlackRock Defensive Advantage Emerging Markets Fund

DESIX

DFA Emerging Markets Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio

Return for Risk

BADEX vs. DESIX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

BADEX

BADEX Risk / Return Rank: 50
BADEX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
BADEX Sortino Ratio Rank: 51
BADEX Omega Ratio Rank: 54
BADEX Calmar Ratio Rank: 43
BADEX Martin Ratio Rank: 43

DESIX

DESIX Risk / Return Rank: 76
DESIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 83
DESIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 81
DESIX Omega Ratio Rank: 77
DESIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
DESIX Martin Ratio Rank: 68

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

BADEX vs. DESIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for BlackRock Defensive Advantage Emerging Markets Fund (BADEX) and DFA Emerging Markets Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio (DESIX). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	BADEX	DESIX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.07	1.54	-0.47
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.42	2.03	-0.62
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.21	1.29	-0.08
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.10	1.68	-0.58
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.45	6.42	-1.97
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BADEX vs. DESIX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BADEX Sharpe Ratio is 1.07, which is lower than the DESIX Sharpe Ratio of 1.54. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BADEX and DESIX, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	BADEX	DESIX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.07	1.54	-0.47
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.46	0.47	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.54	0.49	+0.05

Correlation

The correlation between BADEX and DESIX is 0.90, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

BADEX vs. DESIX - Dividend Comparison

BADEX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 7.54%, more than DESIX's 2.67% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
BADEX BlackRock Defensive Advantage Emerging Markets Fund	7.54%	7.52%	2.27%	1.92%	2.43%	7.54%	0.03%	0.00%	0.00%
DESIX DFA Emerging Markets Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio	2.67%	2.63%	2.79%	2.85%	2.51%	22.49%	1.38%	1.99%	1.21%

Drawdowns

BADEX vs. DESIX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BADEX drawdown since its inception was -21.86%, smaller than the maximum DESIX drawdown of -36.03%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BADEX and DESIX.

Drawdown Indicators

	BADEX	DESIX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-21.86%	-36.03%	+14.17%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.89%	-12.70%	+3.81%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-21.86%	-29.09%	+7.23%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.89%	-12.70%	+3.81%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.77%	-7.86%	+2.09%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.19%	3.32%	-1.13%

Volatility

BADEX vs. DESIX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for BlackRock Defensive Advantage Emerging Markets Fund (BADEX) is 4.93%, while DFA Emerging Markets Sustainability Core 1 Portfolio (DESIX) has a volatility of 7.33%. This indicates that BADEX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than DESIX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BADEX	DESIX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.93%	7.33%	-2.40%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.13%	10.95%	-3.82%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	10.20%	15.51%	-5.31%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	9.96%	18.17%	-8.21%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	10.17%	18.51%	-8.34%