MEMEX vs. BADEX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio (MEMEX) and BlackRock Defensive Advantage Emerging Markets Fund (BADEX).

MEMEX is managed by Morgan Stanley. It was launched on Apr 30, 2017. BADEX is managed by BlackRock. It was launched on Dec 20, 2020.

Performance

MEMEX vs. BADEX - Performance Comparison

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

MEMEX vs. BADEX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
MEMEX Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio	-0.28%	32.98%	7.82%	11.90%	-25.14%	2.99%	2.54%
BADEX BlackRock Defensive Advantage Emerging Markets Fund	-0.28%	13.95%	10.15%	11.67%	-11.34%	4.49%	2.32%

Returns By Period

As of year-to-date, both investments have demonstrated similar returns, with MEMEX at -0.28% and BADEX at -0.28%.

MEMEX

• 1D: -1.30%
• 1M: -14.33%
• YTD: -0.28%
• 6M: 6.89%
• 1Y: 30.98%
• 3Y*: 15.93%
• 5Y*: 3.84%
• 10Y*: —

BADEX

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

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

MEMEX vs. BADEX - Expense Ratio Comparison

MEMEX has a 1.25% expense ratio, which is higher than BADEX's 1.06% expense ratio.

MEMEX

Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio

BADEX

BlackRock Defensive Advantage Emerging Markets Fund

Return for Risk

MEMEX vs. BADEX — Risk / Return Rank

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

MEMEX

MEMEX Risk / Return Rank: 82
MEMEX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
MEMEX Sortino Ratio Rank: 83
MEMEX Omega Ratio Rank: 81
MEMEX Calmar Ratio Rank: 78
MEMEX Martin Ratio Rank: 83

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

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.

MEMEX vs. BADEX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio (MEMEX) and BlackRock Defensive Advantage Emerging Markets Fund (BADEX). 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.

	MEMEX	BADEX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.66	1.07	+0.59
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.18	1.42	+0.76
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.32	1.21	+0.11
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.86	1.10	+0.77
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.39	4.45	+3.95
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

MEMEX vs. BADEX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current MEMEX Sharpe Ratio is 1.66, which is higher than the BADEX Sharpe Ratio of 1.07. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of MEMEX and BADEX, 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

	MEMEX	BADEX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.66	1.07	+0.59
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.22	0.46	-0.24
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.36	0.54	-0.19

Correlation

The correlation between MEMEX and BADEX is 0.87, 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

MEMEX vs. BADEX - Dividend Comparison

MEMEX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.36%, less than BADEX's 7.54% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
MEMEX Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio	3.36%	3.35%	1.38%	3.26%	13.18%	0.86%	2.57%	7.81%	0.52%
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%

Drawdowns

MEMEX vs. BADEX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum MEMEX drawdown since its inception was -39.90%, which is greater than BADEX's maximum drawdown of -21.86%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for MEMEX and BADEX.

Drawdown Indicators

	MEMEX	BADEX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-39.90%	-21.86%	-18.04%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.99%	-8.89%	-6.10%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-37.30%	-21.86%	-15.44%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-14.99%	-8.89%	-6.10%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-15.29%	-5.77%	-9.52%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.33%	2.19%	+1.14%

Volatility

MEMEX vs. BADEX - Volatility Comparison

Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio (MEMEX) has a higher volatility of 9.66% compared to BlackRock Defensive Advantage Emerging Markets Fund (BADEX) at 4.93%. This indicates that MEMEX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BADEX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	MEMEX	BADEX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	9.66%	4.93%	+4.73%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.28%	7.13%	+7.15%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.54%	10.20%	+8.34%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.24%	9.96%	+7.28%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.03%	10.17%	+7.86%