NIE vs. VKSIX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Virtus Equity & Convertible Income Fund (NIE) and Virtus KAR Small-Mid Cap Core Fund (VKSIX).

NIE is an actively managed fund by Virtus. It was launched on Feb 27, 2007. VKSIX is managed by Virtus. It was launched on Mar 7, 2018.

Performance

NIE vs. VKSIX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Virtus Equity & Convertible Income Fund (NIE) and Virtus KAR Small-Mid Cap Core Fund (VKSIX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

NIE vs. VKSIX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
NIE Virtus Equity & Convertible Income Fund	-4.30%	12.15%	28.64%	26.71%	-26.73%	18.89%	33.78%	31.09%	-6.89%
VKSIX Virtus KAR Small-Mid Cap Core Fund	-6.61%	-4.36%	9.07%	23.61%	-23.83%	19.54%	33.45%	38.81%	-6.68%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NIE achieves a -4.30% return, which is significantly higher than VKSIX's -6.61% return.

NIE

• 1D: 1.88%
• 1M: -6.11%
• YTD: -4.30%
• 6M: -1.10%
• 1Y: 16.95%
• 3Y*: 16.50%
• 5Y*: 8.54%
• 10Y*: 12.87%

VKSIX

• 1D: 2.55%
• 1M: -8.69%
• YTD: -6.61%
• 6M: -10.38%
• 1Y: -7.96%
• 3Y*: 3.69%
• 5Y*: 0.09%
• 10Y*: —

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

NIE vs. VKSIX - Expense Ratio Comparison

NIE has a 1.12% expense ratio, which is higher than VKSIX's 1.02% expense ratio.

NIE

Virtus Equity & Convertible Income Fund

VKSIX

Virtus KAR Small-Mid Cap Core Fund

Return for Risk

NIE vs. VKSIX — Risk / Return Rank

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

NIE

NIE Risk / Return Rank: 57
NIE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 50
NIE Sortino Ratio Rank: 53
NIE Omega Ratio Rank: 60
NIE Calmar Ratio Rank: 56
NIE Martin Ratio Rank: 64

VKSIX

VKSIX Risk / Return Rank: 2
VKSIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 2
VKSIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 2
VKSIX Omega Ratio Rank: 2
VKSIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 2
VKSIX Martin Ratio Rank: 2

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.

NIE vs. VKSIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Virtus Equity & Convertible Income Fund (NIE) and Virtus KAR Small-Mid Cap Core Fund (VKSIX). 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.

	NIE	VKSIX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.97	-0.39	+1.36
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.45	-0.46	+1.91
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	0.95	+0.29
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.33	-0.45	+1.77
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.09	-1.22	+7.30
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NIE vs. VKSIX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NIE Sharpe Ratio is 0.97, which is higher than the VKSIX Sharpe Ratio of -0.39. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NIE and VKSIX, 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

	NIE	VKSIX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.97	-0.39	+1.36
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.49	0.00	+0.49
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.65	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.41	0.40	+0.01

Correlation

The correlation between NIE and VKSIX is 0.73, 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

NIE vs. VKSIX - Dividend Comparison

NIE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 10.81%, more than VKSIX's 0.37% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
NIE Virtus Equity & Convertible Income Fund	10.81%	10.14%	8.11%	9.56%	21.81%	10.86%	5.37%	6.71%	8.20%	7.19%	8.25%	8.46%
VKSIX Virtus KAR Small-Mid Cap Core Fund	0.37%	0.34%	0.43%	0.00%	0.00%	1.13%	0.01%	0.00%	1.47%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

NIE vs. VKSIX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NIE drawdown since its inception was -57.90%, which is greater than VKSIX's maximum drawdown of -35.59%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NIE and VKSIX.

Drawdown Indicators

	NIE	VKSIX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-57.90%	-35.59%	-22.31%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.51%	-16.70%	+4.19%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-31.04%	-32.49%	+1.45%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-38.99%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.16%	-17.65%	+10.49%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.07%	-8.73%	+0.66%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.73%	6.11%	-3.38%

Volatility

NIE vs. VKSIX - Volatility Comparison

Virtus Equity & Convertible Income Fund (NIE) and Virtus KAR Small-Mid Cap Core Fund (VKSIX) have volatilities of 5.04% and 5.13%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NIE	VKSIX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.04%	5.13%	-0.09%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.48%	11.82%	-3.34%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.63%	19.42%	-1.79%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.53%	19.14%	-1.61%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	19.71%	21.07%	-1.36%