UMEMX vs. VWILX

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

UMEMX (Columbia Emerging Markets Fund) and VWILX (Vanguard International Growth Fund Admiral Shares) are both mutual funds - UMEMX is a Emerging Markets Diversified fund managed by Columbia, while VWILX is a Large Cap Growth Equities fund managed by Vanguard. Over the past 10 years, UMEMX returned 10.62%/yr vs 9.90%/yr for VWILX. Their correlation of 0.83 suggests significant overlap in exposure. UMEMX charges 1.20%/yr vs 0.32%/yr for VWILX.

Performance

UMEMX vs. VWILX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Columbia Emerging Markets Fund (UMEMX) and Vanguard International Growth Fund Admiral Shares (VWILX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, UMEMX achieves a 39.50% return, which is significantly higher than VWILX's 5.88% return. Over the past 10 years, UMEMX has outperformed VWILX with an annualized return of 10.62%, while VWILX has yielded a comparatively lower 9.90% annualized return.

UMEMX

• 1D: 2.60%
• 1M: 11.86%
• YTD: 39.50%
• 6M: 42.48%
• 1Y: 69.91%
• 3Y*: 27.11%
• 5Y*: 4.26%
• 10Y*: 10.62%

VWILX

• 1D: 0.82%
• 1M: 3.23%
• YTD: 5.88%
• 6M: 6.93%
• 1Y: 13.10%
• 3Y*: 12.38%
• 5Y*: -1.50%
• 10Y*: 9.90%

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

UMEMX vs. VWILX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
UMEMX Columbia Emerging Markets Fund	39.50%	31.14%	6.68%	8.89%	-33.02%	-7.30%	33.83%	31.11%	-21.27%	46.95%
VWILX Vanguard International Growth Fund Admiral Shares	5.88%	20.08%	9.18%	14.80%	-30.80%	-12.81%	59.77%	31.50%	-12.58%	43.17%

Correlation

The correlation between UMEMX and VWILX is 0.81, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.81
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.81
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.84
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.85
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 14, 2001	0.83

The correlation between UMEMX and VWILX has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.81 to 0.85 - a consistent structural relationship.

Return for Risk

UMEMX vs. VWILX — Risk / Return Rank

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

UMEMX

UMEMX Risk / Return Rank: 90
UMEMX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 95
UMEMX Sortino Ratio Rank: 85
UMEMX Omega Ratio Rank: 88
UMEMX Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
UMEMX Martin Ratio Rank: 92

VWILX

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

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.

UMEMX vs. VWILX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Columbia Emerging Markets Fund (UMEMX) and Vanguard International Growth Fund Admiral Shares (VWILX). 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.

	UMEMX	VWILX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	3.35	0.78	+2.56
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	4.04	1.19	+2.84
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.61	1.15	+0.46
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.83	0.98	+3.85
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	19.32	3.17	+16.16
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

UMEMX vs. VWILX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current UMEMX Sharpe Ratio is 3.35, which is higher than the VWILX Sharpe Ratio of 0.78. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of UMEMX and VWILX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	UMEMX	VWILX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.35	0.78	+2.56
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.21	-0.06	+0.28
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.53	0.46	+0.07
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.33	0.35	-0.02

Drawdowns

UMEMX vs. VWILX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum UMEMX drawdown since its inception was -67.58%, which is greater than VWILX's maximum drawdown of -59.49%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for UMEMX and VWILX.

Drawdown Indicators

	UMEMX	VWILX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-67.58%	-59.49%	-8.09%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.32%	-14.06%	-0.26%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-16.69%	-20.02%	+3.33%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-49.26%	-53.56%	+4.30%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-51.61%	-54.08%	+2.47%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	-14.95%	+14.95%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-21.46%	-15.09%	-6.37%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.58%	4.36%	-0.78%

Volatility

UMEMX vs. VWILX - Volatility Comparison

Columbia Emerging Markets Fund (UMEMX) has a higher volatility of 9.56% compared to Vanguard International Growth Fund Admiral Shares (VWILX) at 4.72%. This indicates that UMEMX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VWILX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	UMEMX	VWILX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	9.56%	4.72%	+4.84%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	18.74%	14.47%	+4.27%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	21.49%	17.99%	+3.50%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	20.10%	23.43%	-3.33%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.18%	21.70%	-1.52%

UMEMX vs. VWILX - Expense Ratio Comparison

UMEMX has a 1.20% expense ratio, which is higher than VWILX's 0.32% expense ratio.

Dividends

UMEMX vs. VWILX - Dividend Comparison

UMEMX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.54%, less than VWILX's 6.51% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
UMEMX Columbia Emerging Markets Fund	3.54%	4.94%	1.29%	0.00%	0.00%	1.56%	1.15%	0.33%	0.12%	0.33%	0.00%	0.00%
VWILX Vanguard International Growth Fund Admiral Shares	6.51%	6.89%	9.81%	1.92%	7.03%	0.36%	2.38%	1.30%	5.52%	0.84%	1.42%	1.53%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both UMEMX and VWILX in my portfolio?

UMEMX and VWILX have a correlation of 0.81, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, UMEMX or VWILX?

UMEMX has higher volatility (9.56%) compared to VWILX (4.72%). In terms of maximum drawdown, UMEMX dropped -67.58% vs VWILX's -59.49%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

UMEMX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.35 vs 0.78), 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.