Which returned more over the last year, EMB or IAU?

In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EMB returned +2.8% and IAU returned +19.2%, so IAU returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, EMB or IAU?

EMB charges 0.39% a year and IAU charges 0.25%, so IAU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

EMB vs IAU: how they differ

EMB is a bond index fund and IAU a commodity fund, and over the year IAU returned more, +19.2% against +2.8%.

iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF and iShares Gold Trust.

EMB and IAU on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	EMB iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF	IAU iShares Gold Trust
Where it sits	Core index fund	Core index fund
Issuer	iShares	iShares
What it is	J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond	Gold
Total return, 1 year	+2.8%	+19.2%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	−14.7 pts	+1.7 pts
Expense ratio	0.39%	0.25%
Holdings	681	not filed

EMB in plain words

EMB is a bond fund tracking the J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +2.8% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.39% a year.

IAU in plain words

IAU is a commodity fund tracking the Gold. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +19.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.25% a year. It sat 19.6% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, EMB or IAU?: In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EMB returned +2.8% and IAU returned +19.2%, so IAU returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, EMB or IAU?: EMB charges 0.39% a year and IAU charges 0.25%, so IAU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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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.

EMB against IAU, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, EMB against IAU, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/EMB-IAU Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources