BESIX vs. WILIX

Last updated Aug 1, 2026

BESIX (William Blair Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Fund) and WILIX (William Blair International Leaders Fund) are both mutual funds - BESIX is a Emerging Markets Equities fund managed by William Blair, while WILIX is a Foreign Large Cap Equities fund managed by William Blair. Over the past 10 years, BESIX returned 7.62%/yr vs 8.61%/yr for WILIX. Their 0.63 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. BESIX charges 1.30%/yr vs 0.90%/yr for WILIX.

Performance

BESIX vs. WILIX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in William Blair Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Fund (BESIX) and William Blair International Leaders Fund (WILIX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BESIX achieves a 7.72% return, which is significantly lower than WILIX's 12.60% return. Over the past 10 years, BESIX has underperformed WILIX with an annualized return of 7.62%, while WILIX has yielded a comparatively higher 8.61% annualized return.

BESIX

• 1D: 0.62%
• 1M: -11.25%
• 6M: -0.54%
• YTD: 7.72%
• 1Y: 20.71%
• 3Y*: 12.05%
• 5Y*: 4.09%
• 10Y*: 7.62%
• ALL TIME*: 9.19%

WILIX

• 1D: 3.15%
• 1M: -2.59%
• 6M: 5.48%
• YTD: 12.60%
• 1Y: 23.17%
• 3Y*: 11.59%
• 5Y*: 2.34%
• 10Y*: 8.61%
• ALL TIME*: 8.12%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
BESIX William Blair Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Fund	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
WILIX William Blair International Leaders Fund	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

BESIX vs. WILIX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
BESIX William Blair Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Fund	7.72%	13.93%	8.37%	22.25%	-27.95%	15.52%	32.60%	20.58%	-23.29%	40.54%
WILIX William Blair International Leaders Fund	12.60%	23.21%	-0.50%	13.10%	-28.55%	10.16%	26.79%	31.76%	-12.43%	30.03%

Correlation

The correlation between BESIX and WILIX is 0.72, which is moderate. They have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently, sharing some price drivers without tracking each other closely.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.72
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.61
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.62
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.	0.64
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 2, 2013	0.63

The correlation between BESIX and WILIX shifts across timeframes, from 0.61 (3 years) to 0.72 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

BESIX vs. WILIX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

BESIX

BESIX Risk / Return Rank: 29
BESIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 29
BESIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 28
BESIX Omega Ratio Rank: 29
BESIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 30
BESIX Martin Ratio Rank: 30

WILIX

WILIX Risk / Return Rank: 37
WILIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 37
WILIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 36
WILIX Omega Ratio Rank: 40
WILIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 37
WILIX Martin Ratio Rank: 36

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

BESIX vs. WILIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for William Blair Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Fund (BESIX) and William Blair International Leaders Fund (WILIX). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	BESIX	WILIX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.96	1.17	-0.21
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.39	1.66	-0.27
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.18	1.23	-0.05
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.35	1.60	-0.26
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	4.35	5.44	-1.10

BESIX vs. WILIX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BESIX Sharpe Ratio is 0.96, which is comparable to the WILIX Sharpe Ratio of 1.17. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BESIX and WILIX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

BESIX vs. WILIX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BESIX drawdown since its inception was -38.05%, smaller than the maximum WILIX drawdown of -41.01%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BESIX and WILIX.

Drawdown Indicators

	BESIX	WILIX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-38.05%	-41.01%	+2.96%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.50%	-13.67%	-0.83%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-21.34%	-18.21%	-3.13%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-31.41%	-41.01%	+9.60%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-38.05%	-41.01%	+2.96%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-13.97%	-5.23%	-8.74%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.15%	-9.71%	-0.44%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.48%	4.01%	+0.47%

Volatility

BESIX vs. WILIX - Volatility Comparison

William Blair Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Fund (BESIX) has a higher volatility of 6.69% compared to William Blair International Leaders Fund (WILIX) at 6.01%. This indicates that BESIX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than WILIX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BESIX	WILIX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.69%	6.01%	+0.68%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	17.75%	16.29%	+1.46%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	20.33%	18.72%	+1.61%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.66%	18.27%	-2.61%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.48%	17.72%	-1.24%

BESIX vs. WILIX - Expense Ratio Comparison

BESIX has a 1.30% expense ratio, which is higher than WILIX's 0.90% expense ratio.

Dividends

BESIX vs. WILIX - Dividend Comparison

BESIX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 8.85%, more than WILIX's 7.09% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
BESIX William Blair Emerging Markets Small Cap Growth Fund	8.85%	9.53%	0.00%	0.26%	4.84%	8.51%	0.04%	0.16%	2.32%	3.17%	2.67%	4.17%
WILIX William Blair International Leaders Fund	7.09%	7.98%	0.58%	0.45%	0.19%	2.82%	0.80%	0.56%	4.14%	2.17%	1.01%	0.74%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both BESIX and WILIX in my portfolio?

BESIX and WILIX have a correlation of 0.72, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, BESIX or WILIX?

BESIX has higher volatility (6.69%) compared to WILIX (6.01%). In terms of maximum drawdown, BESIX dropped -38.05% vs WILIX's -41.01%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

WILIX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.17 vs 0.96), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.