HIEMX vs. BEMIX

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Virtus Vontobel Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund (HIEMX) and Brandes Emerging Markets Fund (BEMIX).

HIEMX is managed by Virtus. It was launched on Oct 19, 1997. BEMIX is managed by Brandes. It was launched on Jan 30, 2011.

Performance

HIEMX vs. BEMIX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Virtus Vontobel Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund (HIEMX) and Brandes Emerging Markets Fund (BEMIX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

HIEMX vs. BEMIX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
HIEMX Virtus Vontobel Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund	-10.74%	21.39%	-8.26%	0.39%	-23.26%	-6.34%	15.71%	18.35%	-14.37%	34.47%
BEMIX Brandes Emerging Markets Fund	5.83%	47.83%	4.01%	22.53%	-15.91%	1.68%	-6.17%	18.60%	-15.56%	26.00%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, HIEMX achieves a -10.74% return, which is significantly lower than BEMIX's 5.83% return. Over the past 10 years, HIEMX has underperformed BEMIX with an annualized return of 1.13%, while BEMIX has yielded a comparatively higher 8.34% annualized return.

HIEMX

• 1D: 2.58%
• 1M: -10.95%
• YTD: -10.74%
• 6M: -10.01%
• 1Y: 4.67%
• 3Y*: -0.50%
• 5Y*: -7.23%
• 10Y*: 1.13%

BEMIX

• 1D: 2.79%
• 1M: -8.46%
• YTD: 5.83%
• 6M: 14.00%
• 1Y: 48.03%
• 3Y*: 22.35%
• 5Y*: 10.35%
• 10Y*: 8.34%

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

HIEMX vs. BEMIX - Expense Ratio Comparison

HIEMX has a 1.24% expense ratio, which is higher than BEMIX's 1.12% expense ratio.

HIEMX

Virtus Vontobel Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund

BEMIX

Brandes Emerging Markets Fund

Return for Risk

HIEMX vs. BEMIX — Risk / Return Rank

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

HIEMX

HIEMX Risk / Return Rank: 9
HIEMX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 10
HIEMX Sortino Ratio Rank: 10
HIEMX Omega Ratio Rank: 9
HIEMX Calmar Ratio Rank: 9
HIEMX Martin Ratio Rank: 10

BEMIX

BEMIX Risk / Return Rank: 97
BEMIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 98
BEMIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 96
BEMIX Omega Ratio Rank: 96
BEMIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 97
BEMIX Martin Ratio Rank: 97

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.

HIEMX vs. BEMIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Virtus Vontobel Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund (HIEMX) and Brandes Emerging Markets Fund (BEMIX). 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.

	HIEMX	BEMIX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.32	2.82	-2.50
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.55	3.53	-2.97
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.07	1.56	-0.49
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.25	4.01	-3.76
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.01	16.28	-15.27
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

HIEMX vs. BEMIX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current HIEMX Sharpe Ratio is 0.32, which is lower than the BEMIX Sharpe Ratio of 2.82. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of HIEMX and BEMIX, 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

	HIEMX	BEMIX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.32	2.82	-2.50
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.47	0.64	-1.12
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.07	0.49	-0.42
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.25	0.25	0.00

Correlation

The correlation between HIEMX and BEMIX is 0.80, 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

HIEMX vs. BEMIX - Dividend Comparison

HIEMX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.11%, more than BEMIX's 2.03% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
HIEMX Virtus Vontobel Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund	2.11%	1.89%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	23.24%	0.63%	2.05%	3.83%	0.70%	0.44%	0.94%
BEMIX Brandes Emerging Markets Fund	2.03%	2.15%	3.04%	2.45%	2.86%	2.31%	1.31%	2.56%	1.55%	1.41%	2.20%	1.54%

Drawdowns

HIEMX vs. BEMIX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum HIEMX drawdown since its inception was -58.48%, which is greater than BEMIX's maximum drawdown of -46.05%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HIEMX and BEMIX.

Drawdown Indicators

	HIEMX	BEMIX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-58.48%	-46.05%	-12.43%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-17.19%	-12.07%	-5.12%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-41.42%	-36.37%	-5.05%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-44.22%	-46.05%	+1.83%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-35.86%	-9.61%	-26.25%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-17.52%	-14.32%	-3.20%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.20%	2.97%	+1.23%

Volatility

HIEMX vs. BEMIX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Virtus Vontobel Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund (HIEMX) is 7.17%, while Brandes Emerging Markets Fund (BEMIX) has a volatility of 9.06%. This indicates that HIEMX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than BEMIX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	HIEMX	BEMIX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.17%	9.06%	-1.89%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.20%	12.81%	-1.61%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.12%	17.53%	-1.41%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.34%	16.20%	-0.86%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.09%	16.98%	-0.89%