← Markets

William Blair Emerging Mkts Growth N

WBENX · NASDAQ

Market closed$18.90$-0.470000 (-2.43%)

Key statistics

Previous close$19.37
Open$18.90
Day high$18.90
Day low$18.90
52-week high$21.98
52-week low$13.53
Market cap1.17B
Volume—
Average volume—
P/E ratio22.01
Forward P/E—
EPS0.86
Dividend yield+0.11%

Market context

Why it moved

WBENX declined today amid broader market weakness and negative sentiment in the financial sector, as falling equity valuations in related holdings weighed on the fund's net asset value.

Fintel

What is happening

Recent company-specific developments and publisher coverage.

July 15, 2026William Blair Emerging Markets Growth N closed modestly lower, slipping about 1.1%, as emerging market sentiment faced headwinds from a mixed macro backdrop. China's Q2 GDP missed expectations at 4.3% growth, dampened by the Iran war-related oil shock and softer domestic demand, weighing on EM-focused funds. While cooler U.S. June CPI data (3.5% vs. 3.8% expected) provided some relief, ongoing U.S.-Iran tensions and elevated oil prices continued to cloud the global growth outlook that underpins emerging market performance. The financial services sector ETF (XLF) held near its 52-week high, buoyed by blowout Wall Street bank earnings, but EM equity funds like WBENX lagged amid geopolitical risk and China growth uncertainty.

-1.0956

July 13, 2026William Blair Emerging Markets Growth N fell after a risk-off session drove broad declines in emerging market equities, as renewed U.S.-Iran military strikes sent oil prices surging above $79/barrel and rattled global markets. A sharp selloff in Asian semiconductor stocks — led by SK Hynix plunging ~14% in Seoul and the KOSPI dropping over 5% — compounded pressure on EM-focused funds, while investors weighed upcoming China GDP data and key U.S. bank earnings that could further shape sentiment toward emerging market allocations.

-2.5719

July 8, 2026William Blair Emerging Markets Growth (WBENX) closed sharply lower amid a broad risk-off selloff driven by escalating U.S.-Iran tensions after President Trump declared the June peace framework 'over,' sending oil surging more than 5% and triggering a flight from risk assets globally. Emerging market funds faced compounded pressure from Middle East instability threatening oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, while broader financial sector sentiment was also weighed down by declining tech and semiconductor stocks. The XLF sector ETF ended the day little changed, underscoring that the fund's steep decline was disproportionately tied to its EM exposure in a deteriorating geopolitical environment.

-4.058

July 2, 2026William Blair Emerging Markets Growth N closed sharply lower, declining over 3%, as a challenging macro backdrop weighed on emerging market equity funds. The selloff coincided with broad risk-off sentiment driven by a sluggish start to July trading, with tech and chip stocks dragging global markets lower after Meta's AI cloud entry rattled semiconductor names. Adding pressure, hawkish Fed expectations — with markets pricing potential rate hikes later in 2026 — and a strengthening U.S. dollar created headwinds for emerging market assets, while U.S.-Iran peace talks in Qatar stalled, sustaining geopolitical uncertainty across global markets.

-3.3238

June 22, 2026William Blair Emerging Markets Growth N is surging over 3%, hitting a new 52-week high, as a powerful tailwind from emerging markets fundamentals drives investor enthusiasm. For the first time since April 2022, MSCI EM Index companies are beating profit estimates, with Asian tech firms leading the charge and gains broadening into Indian, Brazilian, and commodity sectors—EM stocks are up nearly 30% this year. Adding fuel to the rally, easing geopolitical risk as U.S.-Iran peace talks advance and oil prices retreat is boosting risk appetite for EM-exposed strategies, with Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan predicting gains will spread well beyond AI-related names.

3.3477

Investment Week · July 9, 2026William Blair Investment Management appoints chief investment strategistInvestmentNews · April 10, 2026Asset allocation still dominates outcomes as investors navigate new inflation era, says William BlairWilliam Blair · April 1, 2026How Tangible Assets Are Shaping a New Global Investment Cycle

Peers

S&P 500SPX · $7,457.69-1.01%Brown Advisory Flexible Equity Fund Advisor ShsBAFAX · $44.91-1.34%iShares Russell Small/Mid-Cap Idx Inv ABSMAX · $21.86-0.55%Meeder Muirfield RetailFLMFX · $10.97-0.81%MFS Series Trust I - MFS New Discovery Fund Class AMNDAX · $31.00-0.58%PGIM Balanced Fund- Class CPABCX · $19.42-0.51%PGIM Balanced Fund- Class RPALRX · $19.27-0.52%FPA Queens Road Small Cap Value FundQRSVX · $53.21-0.36%Schwab MarketTrack All EquitySWEGX · $29.17-0.68%William Blair International Leaders Fund R6 Class SharesWILJX · $24.45-1.73%William Blair International Leaders Fund Class N SharesWILNX · $24.21-1.71%