Fund Evaluator:
Columbia Emerging Markets Inst2 (CEKRX)
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Fund Details
Columbia Emerging Markets Inst2 Overview
Columbia Emerging Markets Inst2 (CEKRX) is an actively managed International Equity Diversified Emerging Mkts fund. Columbia Threadneedle launched the fund in 2012.
The investment seeks long-term capital appreciation. The fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities (including, but not limited to, common stocks, preferred stocks and securities convertible into common or preferred stocks) of companies located in emerging market countries. Emerging market countries include those countries whose economies are considered to be developing or emerging from underdevelopment. The advisor may invest in a variety of countries, industries and sectors and does not attempt to invest a specific percentage of its assets in any given country, industry or sector.
About Columbia Emerging Markets Inst2 (CEKRX)
There are 5 members of the management team with an average tenure of 8.29 years: Perry Vickery (2017), Derek Lin (2020), Darren Powell (2021), Cory Unal (2025), Dara White (2008). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.
The fund has 2 primary benchmarks: MSCI EM NR USD index with a weighting of 100% and MSCI EAFE NR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Columbia Emerging Markets Inst2 has 96 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 50.9% 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.
Columbia Emerging Markets Inst2 is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the International Equity fund group. Columbia Emerging Markets Inst2 has 96.6% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 1.7%. There is 96.6% 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). Columbia Emerging Markets Inst2 has 1.7% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $35 million in total assets, which is below the $967 million average for the Diversified Emerging Mkts 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.
CEKRX 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 Columbia Emerging Markets Inst2 expense ratio is high compared to funds in the Diversified Emerging Mkts category. Columbia Emerging Markets Inst2 has an expense ratio of 1.04%, which is 10% lower 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. Columbia Emerging Markets Inst2 has a portfolio turnover rate of 56%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 68% for the Diversified Emerging Mkts category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Columbia Emerging Markets Inst2 returned -10.2%, which earned it a grade of F, as the Diversified Emerging Mkts category had an average return of -4.9%. 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.
Columbia Emerging Markets Inst2 has a trailing yield of 0.34%, which is below the 1.72% category average. The fund normally distributes its income 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.
Columbia Emerging Markets Inst2 Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 22.2%, 3.2 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of B. The fund has returned 40.9% over the past year (grade of B), 19.0% over the past three years (grade of C) and 3.1% per year over the past five years (grade of F) and 8.5% per year over the past 10 years (grade of C).
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CEKRX 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 |
|
| CEKRX Return (NAV) | -10.2% | -1.8% | 40.9% | 19.0% | 3.1% | 8.5% |
| CEKRX Grade | F | F | B | C | F | C |
| +/- Category | -5.2% | -4.3% | 5.0% | 1.1% | -3.4% | -0.2% |
| Diversified Emerging Mkts Avg | -4.9% | 2.4% | 35.9% | 17.9% | 6.5% | 8.7% |
| CEKRX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 1.3% | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.3% |
CEKRX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| CEKRX Return (NAV) | 22.2% | 31.3% | 6.9% | 8.9% | -32.9% | -7.2% | 34.1% | 31.3% | -21.2% | 47.0% | 5.1% |
| CEKRX Grade | B | C | C | D | F | F | A | A | F | A | D |
| +/- Category | 3.2% | -0.1% | 0.7% | -3.2% | -10.3% | -7.0% | 12.5% | 9.4% | -4.8% | 10.4% | -3.5% |
| Diversified Emerging Mkts Avg | 19.1% | 31.4% | 6.2% | 12.1% | -22.6% | -0.2% | 21.6% | 21.9% | -16.4% | 36.6% | 8.6% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 19.5% |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.59 - High |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.16 - High |
| Category Risk Grade: | F (91% Rank) |
| Beta: | 1.17 |
| R-Squared: | 70% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | Large-Cap Growth |
| Bond Investment Style: | na |
| Yield: | 0.3% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Annually |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | |
| Total Assets: | $790 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $ 36 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | Inst |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 56% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 5 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 18.5 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 8.3 years | |||
| Managers (Year): White Dara (2008), Vickery Perry (2017), Lin Derek (2020), Powell Darren (2021), Unal Cory (2025) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 96 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 50.9% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 96.6% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 1.7% |
| Foreign Stock: | 96.6% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 1.7% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | Columbia Threadneedle |
| Phone Number: | 800-345-6611 |
| Website: | www.columbiathreadneedleus.com |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | November 8, 2012 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $ 0 |
| 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: | 0.00% |
Expenses and Fees | |
| Expense Ratio (%): | 1.04% ( Rating : High ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 1.16% |
| Share Class: | Columbia Emerging Markets Inst |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 0 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
