Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
AIRR vs EEM: how they differ
Over the year EEM returned more, +32.3% against +15.0%, and AIRR charges 0.69% against 0.72%.
First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, AIRR and EEM hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in AIRR | Only in EEM |
|---|---|
| STERLING INFRASTRUCTURE INC 6.00% | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Compa 14.28% |
| ARGAN INC 4.73% | SK hynix Inc. 6.65% |
| COMFORT SYSTEMS USA INC 4.42% | Tencent Holdings Limited 2.71% |
| MASTEC INC 4.18% | Alibaba Group Holding Limited 2.08% |
| CH ROBINSON WORLDWIDE INC 4.08% | MediaTek Inc. 1.62% |
| OWENS CORNING 3.90% | DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC. 1.17% |
| DYCOM INDUSTRIES INC 3.76% | HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 0.90% |
| EMCOR GROUP INC 3.75% | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. 0.85% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and May 31, 2026.
| AIRR First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF | EEM iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Thematic ETF | Core index fund |
| Issuer | First Trust | iShares |
| What it is | Reshoring and manufacturing | Emerging markets |
| Total return, 1 year | +15.0% | +32.3% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −2.5 pts | +14.8 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.69% | 0.72% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 5.5% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 58 | 1245 |
AIRR in plain words
By weight, 6% of AIRR's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 100%. The top ten holdings are 30% of the fund across 58 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 10, 2026. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 the fund returned +15.0% with distributions reinvested against +17.5% for the S&P 500, so a holder was behind by 2.5 pts. It sits 19.5% below its all-time high of Jun 22, 2026.
EEM in plain words
EEM is an index equity fund tracking the Emerging markets. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +32.3% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.72% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1245 positions, with the top ten at 38.9%. It sat 4.7% below its high of Jun 22, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, AIRR or EEM?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, AIRR returned +15.0% and EEM returned +32.3%, so EEM returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, AIRR or EEM?
- AIRR charges 0.69% a year and EEM charges 0.72%, so AIRR is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do AIRR and EEM overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 6% of AIRR and 0% of EEM by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
- Are AIRR and EEM the same kind of fund?
- No. AIRR is a thematic ETF and EEM is an index ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, AIRR against EEM, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/AIRR-EEM Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources