Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
EEM vs IWM: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EEM returned +16.3% to IWM's +14.1%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $29.1bn for iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and $75.5bn for iShares Russell 2000 ETF.
Pair scorecard
IWM costs 0.53 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.2 points; IWM is 2.6 times larger.
| Measure | EEM | IWM |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +16.3% | +14.1% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 10.8%, high on Jun 22, 2026 | 7.6%, high on Aug 14, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI Emerging Markets Index | Russell 2000 Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.72% | 0.19% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $29.1bn | $75.5bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 37.2% | 3.3% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Apr 25, 2003 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,226 weekly returnsIWM returned more: +869.1% to +759.1%. IWM swung slightly less: 22.4% to 23.3%. IWM fell slightly less at its worst: −57.7% to −62.6%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | EEM | IWM | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +759.1% | +869.1% | IWM | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +9.6% | +10.1% | IWM (slight) | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +451.7% | +613.9% | IWM | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 23.3% | 22.4% | IWM (slight) | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 16.1% | 15.6% | IWM (slight) | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −62.6% | −57.7% | IWM (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.43 | 0.46 | IWM (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.63 | 0.67 | IWM (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.15 | 0.18 | IWM | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,226 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, EEM and IWM hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
EEM and IWM on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
EEM and IWM do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. EEM follows MSCI Emerging Markets Index and IWM follows Russell 2000 Index.
- Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 EEM returned +16.3% and IWM +14.1% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 2.2 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.
IWM
IWM tracks the Russell 2000. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +14.1% with distributions reinvested, against +14.3% for its benchmark, the Russell 2000 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.19% 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 1,977 positions, with the top ten at 3.3%. It sat 7.6% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EEM or IWM?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EEM returned +16.3% and IWM +14.1%.
- Which is cheaper, EEM or IWM?
- IWM is cheaper, by 0.53 percentage points a year. That is about $53 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, EEM against IWM, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/eem-vs-iwm
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). EEM against IWM. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/eem-vs-iwm
[EEM against IWM (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/eem-vs-iwm)
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