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Fund-vs-fund · International Equities

Dimensional Global Sustainability PIE Fund (NZD Hedged) vs Russell Investments Hedged Sustainable Global Shares Fund

Both are International Equities funds available to NZ retail investors. Numbers below are sourced from the FMA Disclose register via Sorted Smart Investor and reflect the latest published quarterly fund updates.

Why these two differ

The most material structural difference between these two funds is cost. The Russell Investments Hedged Sustainable Global Shares Fund discloses an annual fund charge of 0.33%, compared with 0.40% for the Dimensional Global Sustainability PIE Fund (NZD Hedged) — a 7 basis-point gap that compounds over time on comparable asset exposures. Both funds sit in the International Equities category, carry an identical risk indicator of 5 out of 7, and hold an almost identical growth assets allocation of 98.31%, making the fee difference one of the cleaner distinguishing factors available in this snapshot.

Fund size is broadly similar: Russell Investments at approximately NZD 768 million versus Dimensional at approximately NZD 686 million. Neither fund discloses a five-year return figure in the current data, so performance comparisons cannot be drawn from this source alone. Both funds apply NZD currency hedging and carry a sustainability mandate, though the specific screening and weighting methodologies differ by manager and are detailed in their respective product disclosure statements.

Top holdings overlap materially — Nvidia, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft appear in both funds' top five — though weightings diverge. Notably, Russell's disclosed holdings include an S&P 500 E-mini futures position (3.16%), indicating derivative use for implementation purposes that does not appear in Dimensional's top holdings; investors sensitive to how exposure is constructed should review each fund's SIPO and PDS for detail.

Always verify these figures against each fund's current product disclosure statement and latest quarterly fund update on FMA Disclose before relying on any of this information.

Cached comparison generated 2026-05-21 from each fund's latest FMA Disclose QFU. Regenerated when the underlying facts change.

What's different at a glance

  • Russell Investments Hedged Sustainable Global Shares Fund charges 0.07% lower in annual fund charges (0.33% vs 0.40%).
  • Both are New Zealand PIE funds — investor tax is capped at the Prescribed Investor Rate (PIR), maximum 28%.

Where each fund sits in its cohort

Percentile rank vs all 82 international equities funds we've matched on Sorted Smart Investor. Mechanical only — no opinion, no forward-looking view.

Annual fund charge

Lower is better

Dimensional

0.40%

Lower half of cohort

Russell Investments

0.33%

Lowest 22% of cohort

5-year return p.a.

Past performance — not a predictor

Dimensional

Russell Investments

Fund size

Larger = more stable, lower close-risk

Dimensional

NZ$686m

Largest 13% in cohort

Russell Investments

NZ$744m

Largest 10% in cohort

Metric Dimensional Russell Investments Lower / higher is
Annual fund charge 0.40% 0.33% Lower is better
Risk indicator (1–7) 5 5 Higher = more volatility
5-year return p.a. Higher is better
(past not future)
Fund size NZ$686m NZ$744m Larger = more stable, lower close-risk
Growth / income split 98% / 2% 98% / 2% More growth = higher long-run return + volatility
NZ tax structure PIE (PIR-capped) PIE (PIR-capped) PIE = simpler. FIF = annual return.
Currency hedging Hedged to NZD Hedged to NZD Hedged smooths NZD/foreign FX moves at a small cost.
Responsible investment screening Yes Yes Specific exclusions live in each fund's SIPO.
Available via InvestNow InvestNow Platforms accepting retail subscriptions.

Portfolio overlap

How many top-10 positions both funds hold, and at what weight. Computed from each fund's most recently disclosed top-10 holdings — exact-name matched (Microsoft Corp. = Microsoft Corporation), with a Cash / Cash & Equivalents collapse rule.

Matching holdings

7

of each fund's top 10

Dimensional weight in shared

16.6%

of Dimensional Global Sustainability PIE Fund (NZD Hedged) top 10 is shared

Russell Investments weight in shared

18.9%

of Russell Investments Hedged Sustainable Global Shares Fund top 10 is shared

Holding Dimensional Russell Investments
Nvidia Corp Nvidia Corp US
4.96% 4.65%
Apple Inc Apple Inc US
5.00% 4.16%
Amazon Com Inc Amazon Com Inc US
1.97% 2.20%
Microsoft Corp Microsoft Corp US
1.69% 2.86%
Broadcom Ord Shs Broadcom Ord Shs US
1.13% 1.52%
Alphabet Inc Cap Stk Cl A Alphabet Inc Cap Stk Cl A US
1.02% 1.84%
Alphabet Inc Cap Cl C Alphabet Inc Cap Cl C US
0.85% 1.62%

"Min weight" = the smaller of the two weights — a conservative read of how much exposure you'd have to that position if you held both funds.

What each fund says it does

Dimensional

Dimensional Global Sustainability PIE Fund (NZD Hedged)

The fund is expected to be fully invested. A portion of the portfolio may be allocated to cash and cash equivalents for liquidity purposes. The fund is not managed with the objective of achieving a particular return relative to a benchmark index. However, to compare the performance of the fund with a broad measure of market performance, reference may be made to the MSCI World ex Australia Index (net div., hedged to NZD).
Full Dimensional Dimensional Global Sustainability PIE Fund (NZD Hedged) profile →

Russell Investments

Russell Investments Hedged Sustainable Global Shares Fund

The Fund invests predominantly in a broad range of international shares listed on stock exchanges in developed and emerging international markets. The Fund targets a lower carbon exposure, and higher Climate Solutions Revenue, compared to the Benchmark. The Fund also employs certain investment exclusions, please refer to the SIPO for further details. Derivatives may be used to obtain or reduce exposure to securities and markets, to implement investment strategies and to manage risk. Foreign currency exposures are largely hedged back to New Zealand dollars.
Full Russell Investments Russell Investments Hedged Sustainable Global Shares Fund profile →

Common questions

What's the difference between the Dimensional Global Sustainability PIE Fund (NZD Hedged) and the Russell Investments Hedged Sustainable Global Shares Fund?
Both are international equities funds available to NZ retail investors. Russell Investments Hedged Sustainable Global Shares Fund charges 0.07% lower in annual fund charges (0.33% vs 0.40%).
Which fund has lower fees, Dimensional Global Sustainability PIE Fund (NZD Hedged) or Russell Investments Hedged Sustainable Global Shares Fund?
Russell Investments Hedged Sustainable Global Shares Fund has the lower annual fund charge (0.33% p.a. vs 0.40% p.a.). Source: each fund's most recent Quarterly Fund Update on the FMA Disclose register.
Are both funds PIE-taxed in NZ?
Yes. Both are NZ Portfolio Investment Entities (PIEs). Investor tax on the fund's income is capped at the Prescribed Investor Rate (PIR), maximum 28%.
Where can I read the official documents for these funds?
Both funds publish their Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), Statement of Investment Policy (SIPO) and Quarterly Fund Update (QFU) on the FMA Disclose register at disclose-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz. Always read the current PDS before investing.
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Important: This comparison is general information only — not personalised financial advice. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns. The right fund for you depends on your personal circumstances. Read each fund's Product Disclosure Statement and consider speaking to a licensed financial adviser.