Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GLD vs IEMG: how they differ
GLD is a commodity fund and IEMG an equity index fund, and over the year IEMG returned more, +30.6% against +19.1%.
SPDR Gold Shares and iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF.
| GLD SPDR Gold Shares | IEMG iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | State Street | iShares |
| What it is | Gold | Core MSCI Emerging Markets |
| Total return, 1 year | +19.1% | +30.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +1.6 pts | +13.1 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.40% | 0.09% |
| Holdings | not filed | 2695 |
GLD in plain words
GLD is a commodity fund tracking the Gold. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +19.1% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.40% a year. It sat 19.6% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
IEMG in plain words
IEMG is an index equity fund tracking the Core MSCI Emerging Markets. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +30.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% 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 2695 positions, with the top ten at 34.1%. It sat 4.0% below its high of Jun 22, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GLD or IEMG?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GLD returned +19.1% and IEMG returned +30.6%, so IEMG returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, GLD or IEMG?
- GLD charges 0.40% a year and IEMG charges 0.09%, so IEMG is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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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, GLD against IEMG, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GLD-IEMG Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources