Fund Evaluator:
Brown Advisory - WMC Jpn Eq Inst (BAFJX)
Follow This Fund
Best Performing in Japan Stock Over the Last Year
| 40.2% | GMO-Usonian Japan Value Creation I (GMIIX) |
| 37.3% | Fidelity Advisor Japan Z (FIQLX) |
| 37.2% | Fidelity Japan (FJPNX) |
| 34.3% | Hennessy Japan Investor (HJPNX) |
| 33.4% | T. Rowe Price Japan Z (TRZJX) |
Fund Details
Brown Advisory - WMC Jpn Eq Inst Overview
Brown Advisory - WMC Jpn Eq Inst (BAFJX) is an actively managed International Equity Japan Stock fund. Brown Advisory launched the fund in 2024.
The investment seeks to achieve total return by investing principally in equity securities of companies which are domiciled in or exercise the predominant part of their economic activity in Japan. Under normal conditions, the fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of companies which are domiciled in or exercise the predominant part of their economic activity in Japan.
About Brown Advisory - WMC Jpn Eq Inst (BAFJX)
There are 1 members of the management team with an average tenure of 1.84 years: Katsuhiro Iwai (2024). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.
Brown Advisory - WMC Jpn Eq Inst has 77 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 27.2% of the fund’s assets. The fund meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The fund is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Brown Advisory - WMC Jpn Eq Inst is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the International Equity fund group. Brown Advisory - WMC Jpn Eq Inst has 97.3% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0%. There is 97.3% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Brown Advisory - WMC Jpn Eq Inst has 2.8% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $789 million in total assets, which is above the $218 million average for the Japan Stock category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
BAFJX Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The Brown Advisory - WMC Jpn Eq Inst expense ratio is high compared to funds in the Japan Stock category. Brown Advisory - WMC Jpn Eq Inst has an expense ratio of 1.01%, which is 6% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a C. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. A portfolio turnover rate cannot be currently calculated for Brown Advisory - WMC Jpn Eq Inst. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 40% for the Japan Stock category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Brown Advisory - WMC Jpn Eq Inst returned 4.2%, which earned it a grade of A, as the Japan Stock category had an average return of -0.2%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all funds in that category.
Brown Advisory - WMC Jpn Eq Inst has a trailing yield of 1.54%, which is below the 3.22% category average. The fund normally distributes its income annually and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
Brown Advisory - WMC Jpn Eq Inst Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 19.2%, 0.3 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of C. The fund has returned 32.7% over the past year (grade of C).
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BAFJX Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| BAFJX Return (NAV) | 4.2% | 9.7% | 32.7% | na | na | na |
| BAFJX Grade | A | B | C | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | 4.4% | 3.5% | -0.8% | na | na | na |
| Japan Stock Avg | -0.2% | 6.2% | 33.5% | 18.9% | 8.3% | 9.2% |
| BAFJX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 1.5% | na | na | na |
BAFJX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| BAFJX Return (NAV) | 19.2% | 28.7% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| BAFJX Grade | C | D | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | 0.3% | 0.6% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Japan Stock Avg | 18.9% | 28.1% | 8.8% | 15.8% | -21.5% | -2.1% | 22.9% | 23.3% | -13.9% | 33.3% | 5.8% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | na |
| Total Risk Index: | na |
| Category Risk Index: | na |
| Category Risk Grade: | |
| Beta: | na |
| R-Squared: | na |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | Large-Cap Blend |
| Bond Investment Style: | na |
| Yield: | 1.5% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Annually |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | Annually |
| Total Assets: | $789 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $ 790 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | Inst |
| Portfolio Turnover: | na |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 1 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 1.8 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 1.8 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Iwai Katsuhiro (2024) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 77 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 27.2% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 97.3% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 97.3% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 2.8% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | Brown Advisory |
| Phone Number: | 800-540-6807 |
| Website: | www.brownadvisoryfunds.com |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | September 30, 2024 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $1,000,000 |
| Min. Initial IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
| True No-Load: | Yes |
| Front Load Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Deferred Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Redemption Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| 12b-1 Fee: | na |
Expenses and Fees | |
| Expense Ratio (%): | 1.01% ( Rating : High ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.96% |
| Share Class: | Brown Advisory - WMC Jpn Eq Inst |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 100 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
