Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
EEM vs EOCT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EEM returned +16.3% to EOCT's +9.4%, and EEM charges 0.72% to EOCT's 0.89%.
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Net assets: $29.1bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, and $125m on Oct 28, 2026 for Innovator Emerging Markets Power Buffer ETF - Oct.
Pair scorecard
EEM costs 0.17 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 6.9 points; EEM is far larger, $29.1bn against $124m.
| Measure | EEM | EOCT |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +16.3% | +9.4% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 10.8%, high on Jun 22, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI Emerging Markets Index | EEM |
| The outcome period | ||
| Room to the cap | 26.0% | |
| Buffer left, in index points | 10.0% of 15.0% | |
| Days left in the period | 337 | |
| Period ends | Sep 30, 2027 | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.72% | 0.89% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $29.1bn | $124m |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 37.2% | |
Risk and return
Oct 8, 2021 to Oct 23, 2026 · 263 weekly returnsEEM returned slightly more: +37.3% to +35.2%. EOCT swung less: 10.8% to 18.5%. EOCT fell less at its worst: −19.7% to −32.7%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | EEM | EOCT | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +37.3% | +35.2% | EEM (slight) | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +6.5% | +6.1% | EEM (slight) | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +22.0% | +35.2% | EOCT | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 18.5% | 10.8% | EOCT | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 13.2% | 7.6% | EOCT | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −32.7% | −19.7% | EOCT | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.22 | 0.25 | EOCT | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.31 | 0.35 | EOCT | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.20 | 0.31 | EOCT | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 263 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
Side by side
EEM and EOCT on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
EEM and EOCT do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. EEM follows MSCI Emerging Markets Index and EOCT follows EEM.
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 EEM returned +16.3% and EOCT +9.4% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 6.9 points.
- Cost. EEM charges 0.72% of assets a year and EOCT 0.89%, a gap of 0.17 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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EEM
EEM tracks an index of Emerging markets. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +16.3% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.72% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1,186 positions, with the top ten at 37.2%. It sat 10.8% below its high of Jun 22, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
EOCT
From its price on Oct 28, 2026, the fund can gain about 26.0% more before it reaches its cap. Protection left, in index points: 10.0% of the 15.0% buffer still sits below today's EEM level. 337 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Sep 30, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
Questions people ask
- Are EEM and EOCT in the same category?
- EEM is a stock ETF and EOCT is a buffer ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
- Which returned more over the last year, EEM or EOCT?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EEM returned +16.3% and EOCT +9.4%.
- Which is cheaper, EEM or EOCT?
- EEM is cheaper, by 0.17 percentage points a year. That is about $17 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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ETFIQ, EEM against EOCT, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/eem-vs-eoct
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). EEM against EOCT. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/eem-vs-eoct
[EEM against EOCT (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/eem-vs-eoct)
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