Kernel Emerging Markets Fund
Kernel Emerging Markets Fund is an international equities managed fund from Kernel with a fund size of NZ$4.4 million and an annual fund charge of 0.45%, as shown on Sorted Smart Investor on 22 May 2026; its 1-year return after fees and tax was 19.70% for the year to 31 March 2026, per its quarterly fund update filed on FMA Disclose.
Managed by KernelFund data last refreshed · holdings as filed to 31/03/2026
Kernel Emerging Markets Fund is a international equities managed fund operated by Kernel; PIE-structured; FMA risk indicator 5/7. Headline terms: annual fund charge 0.45% · minimum investment NZ$1. Compared with 83 other same-category funds on this site, the 0.45% annual fund charge sits below the same-category median of 0.62%.
PIE tax treatment — capped at your PIR (max 28%)
This fund is a Portfolio Investment Entity (PIE) under Subpart HM of the Income Tax Act 2007. Income is taxed at your Prescribed Investor Rate (10.5% / 17.5% / 28%), not your marginal income-tax rate. The fund manager calculates and pays the tax on your behalf — when your PIR is correct, you usually don't need to declare PIE income in your annual tax return. See ourPIR guideandPIE tax basicsfor the full picture, or use thePIR calculatorto confirm your rate.
Annual fund charge
0.45%
vs peer avg 0.85%
Risk indicator
5/7
1 = lower risk · 7 = higher risk
5-year return p.a.
Less than 5 years of data
peer avg 5.65%
Fund size
NZ$4.4m
98% growth · 2% income
To provide a return (before tax, fees and expenses) that corresponds generally to the total return on the S&P Emerging BMI (NZD) Index. The fund is passively managed and invests in globally listed financial products.
How Kernel Emerging Markets Fund differs
Factual contrasts drawn from the PDS, SIPO and latest portfolio holdings — no opinion.
- Benchmark
- S&P Emerging BMI (NZD) Index
- Top 3 holdings
- SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF (100.0%) · New Zealand Dollar (0.2%)
Key facts
Fund start date
11 November 2024
Min. investment
NZ$1
Tax structure
PIE
Capped at your PIR (max 28%)
Investment policy
From the Statement of Investment Policy and Objectives (SIPO).
Strategic asset allocation ranges
| Asset class | Target | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash and cash equivalents | 0% | -5% | 10% |
| International equities | 100% | 0% | 105% |
Responsible-investment approach
Five funds consider non-financial ESG factors: Kernel Global Property (NZD Hedged) Fund, Kernel S&P Global Clean Energy Fund, NZ 50 ESG Tilted Fund, Kernel Global ESG Fund, and Kernel Global ESG (NZD Hedged) Fund. These funds use S&P DJI ESG scoring methodologies, including exclusions, tilts, and climate-alignment screens. Kernel's ESG Policy sets out applicable index methodologies, exclusions, and minimum reporting publications for non-financial metrics.
Derivatives policy
Kernel Equity Funds (except NZD Hedged variants) do not currently use derivatives but may do so in future on a fund-by-fund basis. NZD Hedged funds and Fixed Interest funds may use derivatives (swaps, futures, options, FRAs, repos) primarily to hedge foreign currency exposure or manage cash flows; borrowing via derivatives is capped at 25% of fund value.
Reading between the lines
Plain-English summary of the scheme's disclosed conflicts and performance-fee mechanics, drawn from the OMI and PDS. Factual restatement — no opinion.
- Kernel Wealth Limited manages both the KiwiSaver Plan and the underlying Kernel Funds scheme, meaning it acts as manager at two levels and decisions it makes about underlying funds directly affect KiwiSaver investors.
- Kernel acknowledges that restrictions it imposes on the underlying Kernel Funds—such as limiting withdrawals or switches—can flow through and constrain what KiwiSaver Plan investors are able to do with their money.
- Both Kernel and the Supervisor are indemnified from Plan assets for losses incurred in proper performance of their duties, meaning these claims rank ahead of investor claims against those same assets.
- Administration, custody, unit pricing, and fund accounting are provided by related parties Adminis NZ Limited and MUFG Pension & Market Services (NZ) Limited, with costs for these services borne by the Plan.
Generated 2026-05-28 from Kernel KiwiSaver Plan OMI (dated 2025-08-06). The verbatim disclosures appear in full below — this summary is a navigation aid, not a substitute.
Scheme disclosures
From the Other Material Information (OMI) document. Scheme-level — applies to every fund in this scheme.
Trustee / Supervisor
Trustees Executors Limited
Auditor
EY
Custodian
Adminis NZ Limited
Conflicts disclosed
3
In OMI
Conflicts of interest disclosed in OMI
- Each KiwiSaver Fund invests wholly in underlying funds within the Kernel Funds scheme (SCH12697), which is also managed by Kernel Wealth Limited, meaning Kernel acts as manager at both levels.
- Decisions Kernel makes in respect of the Kernel Funds (e.g. restricting withdrawals or switches for underlying funds) may affect investors' investments in the KiwiSaver Plan.
- Both Kernel and the Supervisor are indemnified out of Plan assets for losses and costs incurred in proper performance of their duties, taking priority over investor claims.
How this fund compares to peers
Mechanical comparison vs the 84 other international equities funds in our cohort. Source: FMA Disclose register via Sorted Smart Investor. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.
Kernel Emerging Markets Fund: 0.45% per annum. International Equities median across 84 funds:0.62%. This fund is 0.17 percentage points below the category median.
Annual fund charge
0.45%
Category median: 0.62%
Cheaper than 68% of peers
Fund size
NZ$4.4m
Category median: NZ$104.3m
2th percentile by AUM
Illustrative 5y fee impact on a sample balance of $10,000
$223
Compounded charge over 5 years (excl. returns)
$83 less than peer median
Read the full fee-vs-peers breakdown →
Mechanical scores only — no opinion or recommendation. Different funds suit different investor goals. ManagedFundsNZ is not a Financial Advice Provider. Read the current PDS and consider speaking to a licensed financial adviser.
Complete portfolio
This fund files 10 holdings with the FMA as at 31/03/2026. The largest 9 are shown.
Top 10 concentration: 100.4% of net assets.
Direct disclosed holdings only — a floor on exposure, not a total. Filings list wrappers and securities together, so a fund holding another fund shows no look-through here. Disclosed rows account for 100.0% of net assets. Percentages are of this fund's net assets and are safe to sum within this fund only.
| Holding | % of fund | |
|---|---|---|
| SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF | 100.03% | |
| New Zealand Dollar | 0.57% | |
| US Dollar | 0.00% | |
| Canadian Dollar | 0.00% | |
| Euro | 0.00% | |
| Swiss Franc | 0.00% | |
| Interest Receivable | 0.00% | |
| Accounts Payable | -0.03% | |
| Redemptions Payable | -0.16% |
Every NZ managed fund must file its complete portfolio with the FMA each quarter. Where a line is itself a fund, trust or ETF, the securities inside it are not broken out here.
Top 2 holdings
As at the latest published quarterly fund update (via Sorted Smart Investor).
| Holding | % of fund |
|---|---|
SPSPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF | 100.03% |
NZNew Zealand Dollar | 0.18% |
Documents
Every dated PDS, quarterly fund update and full-portfolio holdings file. Linked from the FMA Disclose register via Sorted Smart Investor.
- KERNEL EMERGING MARKETS FUND (FND52056) Full portfolio holdings 31 March 2026.xlsx Download the full portfolio holdings. XLSX, 0.32 KB
- Kernel Kiwi Saver PDS Equities August 2025.pdf How this investment works, including about the provider, risks, costs and potential returns PDF, 399.30 KB
- Emerging Markets FU KS Kiwi Saver Update Mar 2026.pdf The quarterly update published by the provider PDF, 225.75 KB
- Kernel Kiwi Saver PDS Diversified August 2025.pdf Additional product disclosure statement from the provider PDF, 415.69 KB
- ESG Policy March 2023.pdf ESG Policy PDF, 1.92 MB
- Kernel Kiwi Saver OMI August 2025.pdf Other Material Information PDF, 271.27 KB
- Kernel Kiwi Saver SIPO September 2025.pdf Statement of investment policy and objectives PDF, 482.21 KB
About this category
Funds investing in shares listed outside Australasia. Includes broad global trackers, regional funds, ESG-focused strategies, and theme funds covering automation, healthcare, water and other sectors.
About Kernel
NZ index-investing specialist with a broad retail range covering NZ, Australian, US and global equity, infrastructure, ESG, fixed interest and cash strategies.
Kernel has 27 retail funds in our coverage across Diversified, Cash, NZ Fixed Interest, International FI, International Equities, Other, Listed Property and Australasian Equities strategies, with annual fund charges from 0.25% to 0.45% a year.
Based in Auckland.
Common questions
Questions people ask about Kernel Emerging Markets Fund
Questions that recur in search results for this fund, answered from its filed PDS, Fund Update and FMA Disclose record. How the question set was captured is documented in our methodology. Not personal financial advice — for guidance specific to your situation, consult a licensed financial adviser.
Is Kernel safe to invest with?
Kernel Emerging Markets Fund is a registered managed fund available on the FMA Disclose register at https://disclose-register.companieshoice.govt.nz/. As at the latest Quarterly Fund Update, the fund holds NZ$4,431,881.34 in assets and is structured as a PIE (Portfolio Investment Entity). Check the current Product Disclosure Statement on Kernel's website at https://kernelwealth.co.nz for full details on the fund operator, custodian arrangements, and risk management.
What happens if the Kernel goes bust?
Managed funds like Kernel Emerging Markets Fund hold assets in the names of investors (not the fund manager), which provides legal separation if the operator encounters difficulties. For specific information on custody, trustee protections, and what happens in insolvency scenarios, refer to the fund's current Product Disclosure Statement at https://kernelwealth.co.nz or contact Kernel directly.
Head-to-head
Compare Kernel Emerging Markets Fund with…
Side-by-side numbers — fees, returns, risk, fund size, asset mix.
Peer funds
Other International Equities funds
Same manager
Other funds by Kernel
- Kernel S&P Global 100 FundInternational Equities
- Kernel High Growth FundDiversified
- Kernel Global Infrastructure FundOther
FMA risk band
Same risk band (5/7)
See every NZ retail managed fund with the same standardised FMA risk indicator. Useful for peer-checking volatility-comparable funds outside this category.
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Frequently asked questions
Mechanical Q&A grounded in the fund's PDS, SIPO, and latest QFU on the FMA Disclose register. Verify against the source before relying on any of this.
Who manages the Kernel Emerging Markets Fund?
Kernel Emerging Markets Fund is managed by Kernel. NZ index-investing specialist with a broad retail range covering NZ, Australian, US and global equity, infrastructure, ESG, fixed interest and cash strategies.
What asset class is the Kernel Emerging Markets Fund?
It is a international equities managed fund. The fund has a growth risk profile. Funds investing in shares listed outside Australasia. Includes broad global trackers, regional funds, ESG-focused strategies, and theme funds covering automation, healthcare, water and other sectors.
What are the fees for the Kernel Emerging Markets Fund?
The annual fund charge for the Kernel Emerging Markets Fund is 0.45% p.a., as reported in the latest Quarterly Fund Update sourced from the FMA Disclose register. Always check the current PDS for any additional fees.
What is the risk indicator for the Kernel Emerging Markets Fund?
The risk indicator is 5/7 on the standardised FMA-mandated scale, where 1 is lower risk and 7 is higher risk. The risk indicator is calculated from the fund's price volatility over the past five years and is published in every Quarterly Fund Update.
Is the Kernel Emerging Markets Fund a PIE fund?
Yes. The Kernel Emerging Markets Fund is structured as a New Zealand Portfolio Investment Entity (PIE). Investor tax on the fund's income is capped at the investor's Prescribed Investor Rate (PIR), which has a maximum of 28%. Most NZ-resident retail investors with a taxable income at or below NZ$48,000 qualify for a lower PIR.
How big is the Kernel Emerging Markets Fund?
Fund size (assets under management) is NZ$4 million as at the latest Quarterly Fund Update. Asset mix is approximately 98% growth assets and 2% income assets.
What does the Kernel Emerging Markets Fund invest in?
The latest published top holdings are: SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF (100.03%), New Zealand Dollar (0.18%). Holdings are disclosed in each Quarterly Fund Update; the full portfolio holdings file is also available via the FMA Disclose register.
How can I invest in the Kernel Emerging Markets Fund?
The Kernel Emerging Markets Fund is available via Kernel directly. Always read the current Product Disclosure Statement before investing.
Is Kernel safe to invest with?
Kernel Emerging Markets Fund is a registered managed fund available on the FMA Disclose register at https://disclose-register.companieshoice.govt.nz/. As at the latest Quarterly Fund Update, the fund holds NZ$4,431,881.34 in assets and is structured as a PIE (Portfolio Investment Entity). Check the current Product Disclosure Statement on Kernel's website at https://kernelwealth.co.nz for full details on the fund operator, custodian arrangements, and risk management.
What happens if the Kernel goes bust?
Managed funds like Kernel Emerging Markets Fund hold assets in the names of investors (not the fund manager), which provides legal separation if the operator encounters difficulties. For specific information on custody, trustee protections, and what happens in insolvency scenarios, refer to the fund's current Product Disclosure Statement at https://kernelwealth.co.nz or contact Kernel directly.