SAEMX vs. SAISX

Last updated Aug 1, 2026

SAEMX (SA Emerging Markets Value Fund) and SAISX (SA International Small Company Fund) are both mutual funds - SAEMX is a Emerging Markets Equities fund managed by SA Funds, while SAISX is a Foreign Small & Mid Cap Equities fund managed by SA Funds. Over the past 10 years, SAEMX returned 8.42%/yr vs 8.58%/yr for SAISX. Their 0.63 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. SAEMX charges 1.24%/yr vs 0.74%/yr for SAISX.

Performance

SAEMX vs. SAISX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in SA Emerging Markets Value Fund (SAEMX) and SA International Small Company Fund (SAISX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SAEMX achieves a 15.29% return, which is significantly higher than SAISX's 9.48% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with SAEMX having a 8.42% annualized return and SAISX not far ahead at 8.58%.

SAEMX

• 1D: 0.99%
• 1M: -4.28%
• 6M: 6.54%
• YTD: 15.29%
• 1Y: 28.90%
• 3Y*: 16.53%
• 5Y*: 10.03%
• 10Y*: 8.42%
• ALL TIME*: 3.47%

SAISX

• 1D: 2.35%
• 1M: 2.05%
• 6M: 3.80%
• YTD: 9.48%
• 1Y: 22.23%
• 3Y*: 16.33%
• 5Y*: 7.47%
• 10Y*: 8.58%
• ALL TIME*: 7.39%

*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)
SAEMX SA Emerging Markets Value Fund	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
SAISX SA International Small Company Fund	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

SAEMX vs. SAISX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SAEMX SA Emerging Markets Value Fund	15.29%	29.21%	5.47%	15.72%	-11.61%	10.51%	0.88%	8.05%	-12.11%	31.24%
SAISX SA International Small Company Fund	9.48%	35.69%	3.19%	13.87%	-17.68%	13.52%	8.54%	23.25%	-20.10%	29.04%

Correlation

The correlation between SAEMX and SAISX is 0.37, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.37
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.43
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.47
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.	0.52
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 2, 2008	0.63

Over the past year, the correlation between SAEMX and SAISX has dropped to 0.37 - well below their long-term average of 0.63, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Return for Risk

SAEMX vs. SAISX — Risk / Return Rank

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

SAEMX

SAEMX Risk / Return Rank: 65
SAEMX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 69
SAEMX Sortino Ratio Rank: 61
SAEMX Omega Ratio Rank: 67
SAEMX Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
SAEMX Martin Ratio Rank: 54

SAISX

SAISX Risk / Return Rank: 59
SAISX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 67
SAISX Sortino Ratio Rank: 66
SAISX Omega Ratio Rank: 64
SAISX Calmar Ratio Rank: 54
SAISX Martin Ratio Rank: 44

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.

SAEMX vs. SAISX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SA Emerging Markets Value Fund (SAEMX) and SA International Small Company Fund (SAISX). 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.

	SAEMX	SAISX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.62	1.59	+0.02
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.15	2.30	-0.14
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.30	1.29	+0.01
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.40	1.95	+0.46
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	7.27	6.42	+0.85

SAEMX vs. SAISX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SAEMX Sharpe Ratio is 1.62, which is comparable to the SAISX Sharpe Ratio of 1.59. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SAEMX and SAISX, 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

SAEMX vs. SAISX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SAEMX drawdown since its inception was -63.08%, roughly equal to the maximum SAISX drawdown of -61.36%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SAEMX and SAISX.

Drawdown Indicators

	SAEMX	SAISX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-63.08%	-61.36%	-1.72%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.22%	-12.00%	-0.22%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-17.80%	-13.15%	-4.65%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.86%	-33.49%	+8.63%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-49.23%	-43.94%	-5.29%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.99%	-1.42%	-8.57%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-17.11%	-12.58%	-4.53%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.92%	3.54%	+0.38%

Volatility

SAEMX vs. SAISX - Volatility Comparison

SA Emerging Markets Value Fund (SAEMX) has a higher volatility of 5.81% compared to SA International Small Company Fund (SAISX) at 4.28%. This indicates that SAEMX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SAISX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SAEMX	SAISX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.81%	4.28%	+1.53%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	16.00%	12.08%	+3.92%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.15%	14.73%	+3.42%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.40%	16.34%	-0.94%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.65%	16.07%	-0.42%

SAEMX vs. SAISX - Expense Ratio Comparison

SAEMX has a 1.24% expense ratio, which is higher than SAISX's 0.74% expense ratio.

Dividends

SAEMX vs. SAISX - Dividend Comparison

SAEMX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.98%, less than SAISX's 5.42% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SAEMX SA Emerging Markets Value Fund	2.98%	3.43%	4.37%	4.07%	3.54%	2.86%	1.76%	2.18%	1.78%	1.28%	1.23%	1.25%
SAISX SA International Small Company Fund	5.42%	5.93%	3.96%	3.31%	6.05%	5.68%	1.95%	5.67%	6.70%	4.28%	4.07%	3.84%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both SAEMX and SAISX in my portfolio?

SAEMX and SAISX have a correlation of 0.37, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, SAEMX or SAISX?

SAEMX has higher volatility (5.81%) compared to SAISX (4.28%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SAEMX dropped -63.08% vs SAISX's -61.36%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

SAEMX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.62 vs 1.59), 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.