WBELX vs. GLLSX

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about William Blair Emerging Markets Leaders Fund (WBELX) and abrdn Emerging Markets ex-China Fund (GLLSX).

WBELX is managed by William Blair. It was launched on Mar 25, 2008. GLLSX is managed by Aberdeen. It was launched on Aug 29, 2000.

Performance

WBELX vs. GLLSX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in William Blair Emerging Markets Leaders Fund (WBELX) and abrdn Emerging Markets ex-China Fund (GLLSX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

WBELX vs. GLLSX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
WBELX William Blair Emerging Markets Leaders Fund	-2.42%	26.44%	5.86%	6.14%	-25.85%	-7.51%	27.53%	28.37%	-17.41%	41.89%
GLLSX abrdn Emerging Markets ex-China Fund	8.83%	34.81%	0.73%	21.35%	-23.04%	36.50%	15.93%	23.64%	-11.50%	23.06%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, WBELX achieves a -2.42% return, which is significantly lower than GLLSX's 8.83% return. Over the past 10 years, WBELX has underperformed GLLSX with an annualized return of 6.28%, while GLLSX has yielded a comparatively higher 11.92% annualized return.

WBELX

• 1D: 2.72%
• 1M: -10.24%
• YTD: -2.42%
• 6M: -0.58%
• 1Y: 22.85%
• 3Y*: 10.07%
• 5Y*: -1.45%
• 10Y*: 6.28%

GLLSX

• 1D: 3.18%
• 1M: -10.26%
• YTD: 8.83%
• 6M: 18.55%
• 1Y: 52.10%
• 3Y*: 18.93%
• 5Y*: 12.59%
• 10Y*: 11.92%

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

WBELX vs. GLLSX - Expense Ratio Comparison

WBELX has a 1.05% expense ratio, which is lower than GLLSX's 1.23% expense ratio.

GLLSX

abrdn Emerging Markets ex-China Fund

WBELX

William Blair Emerging Markets Leaders Fund

Return for Risk

WBELX vs. GLLSX — Risk / Return Rank

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

WBELX

WBELX Risk / Return Rank: 55
WBELX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 66
WBELX Sortino Ratio Rank: 62
WBELX Omega Ratio Rank: 59
WBELX Calmar Ratio Rank: 45
WBELX Martin Ratio Rank: 43

GLLSX

GLLSX Risk / Return Rank: 96
GLLSX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 97
GLLSX Sortino Ratio Rank: 95
GLLSX Omega Ratio Rank: 94
GLLSX Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
GLLSX Martin Ratio Rank: 96

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.

WBELX vs. GLLSX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for William Blair Emerging Markets Leaders Fund (WBELX) and abrdn Emerging Markets ex-China Fund (GLLSX). 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.

	WBELX	GLLSX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.28	2.70	-1.43
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.76	3.29	-1.53
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.25	1.50	-0.25
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.37	3.64	-2.27
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.20	15.21	-10.01
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

WBELX vs. GLLSX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current WBELX Sharpe Ratio is 1.28, which is lower than the GLLSX Sharpe Ratio of 2.70. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of WBELX and GLLSX, 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

	WBELX	GLLSX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.28	2.70	-1.43
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.09	0.73	-0.82
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.36	0.69	-0.32
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.14	0.57	-0.42

Correlation

The correlation between WBELX and GLLSX 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

WBELX vs. GLLSX - Dividend Comparison

WBELX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.90%, less than GLLSX's 1.72% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
WBELX William Blair Emerging Markets Leaders Fund	0.90%	0.88%	0.25%	0.78%	0.99%	8.25%	1.00%	0.88%	10.92%	0.67%	0.13%	0.46%
GLLSX abrdn Emerging Markets ex-China Fund	1.72%	1.88%	0.74%	0.77%	29.32%	22.85%	0.00%	3.38%	9.47%	8.40%	1.09%	0.94%

Drawdowns

WBELX vs. GLLSX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum WBELX drawdown since its inception was -64.98%, which is greater than GLLSX's maximum drawdown of -32.59%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for WBELX and GLLSX.

Drawdown Indicators

	WBELX	GLLSX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-64.98%	-32.59%	-32.39%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.72%	-14.39%	-0.33%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-40.28%	-30.02%	-10.26%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-45.26%	-32.59%	-12.67%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-17.10%	-11.66%	-5.44%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-18.89%	-7.99%	-10.90%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.87%	3.44%	+0.43%

Volatility

WBELX vs. GLLSX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for William Blair Emerging Markets Leaders Fund (WBELX) is 8.53%, while abrdn Emerging Markets ex-China Fund (GLLSX) has a volatility of 11.43%. This indicates that WBELX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than GLLSX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	WBELX	GLLSX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.53%	11.43%	-2.90%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.75%	15.86%	-2.11%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.33%	19.71%	-1.38%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.31%	17.27%	-0.96%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.31%	17.37%	-0.06%