Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
BOXX vs EEM: how they differ
BOXX is a short-term Treasury fund and EEM an equity index fund, and over the year EEM returned more, +32.3% against +4.0%.
Alpha Architect 1-3 Month Box ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF.
| BOXX Alpha Architect 1-3 Month Box ETF | EEM iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Alpha | iShares |
| What it is | 1-3 Month Box | Emerging markets |
| Total return, 1 year | +4.0% | +32.3% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −13.5 pts | +14.8 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.19% | 0.72% |
| Holdings | not filed | 1245 |
BOXX in plain words
BOXX is a cash and treasury bills tracking the 1-3 Month Box. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +4.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.19% a year.
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, BOXX or EEM?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, BOXX returned +4.0% and EEM returned +32.3%, so EEM returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, BOXX or EEM?
- BOXX charges 0.19% a year and EEM charges 0.72%, so BOXX is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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Where these figures came from
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Cite this page. ETFIQ, BOXX against EEM, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/BOXX-EEM Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
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