Which returned more over the last year, EEM or GLD?

In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EEM returned +32.3% and GLD returned +19.1%, so EEM returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, EEM or GLD?

EEM charges 0.72% a year and GLD charges 0.40%, so GLD is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

EEM vs GLD: how they differ

EEM is an equity index fund and GLD a commodity fund, and over the year EEM returned more, +32.3% against +19.1%.

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and SPDR Gold Shares.

EEM and GLD on the fields both publish, as of Sep 13, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	EEM iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	GLD SPDR Gold Shares
Where it sits	Core index fund	Core index fund
Issuer	iShares	State Street
What it is	Emerging markets	Gold
Total return, 1 year	+32.3%	+19.1%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	+14.8 pts	+1.6 pts
Expense ratio	0.72%	0.40%
Holdings	965	not filed

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 Sep 10, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 965 positions, with the top ten at 38.3%. It sat 4.7% below its high of Jun 22, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.

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.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, EEM or GLD?: In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EEM returned +32.3% and GLD returned +19.1%, so EEM returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, EEM or GLD?: EEM charges 0.72% a year and GLD charges 0.40%, so GLD is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

Where to next

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.

EEM against GLD, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 13, 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, EEM against GLD, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/eem-vs-gld Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources