IQ

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

vsCompare their flowsaskIQ about these two fundsAsk the committee about these two funds
Across categories

EEM vs TSEP: Differences, Returns & Fees

Share
Share on XDownload as PDF

Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EEM returned +16.3% to TSEP's +9.3%, and EEM charges 0.72% to TSEP's 0.95%.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about EEM and TSEP

Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $29.1bn for iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and $18m for FT Vest Emerging Markets Buffer ETF - September.

EEM on its own →TSEP on its own →
At a glance
+16.3%
EEM total return, 1 year
+9.3%
TSEP total return, 1 year
0.72%
EEM expense ratio
0.95%
TSEP expense ratio

Pair scorecard

EEM costs 0.23 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 7.0 points; EEM is far larger, $29.1bn against $18m.

EEM vs TSEP: Differences, Returns & Fees
MeasureEEMTSEP
Return
Total return, 1 year+16.3%+9.3%
Drawdown
Below its high10.8%, high on Jun 22, 2026
Benchmark
What it tracksMSCI Emerging Markets IndexEEM
The outcome period
Room to the cap31.5%
Buffer left, in index points4.8% of 10.0%
Days left in the period324
Period endsSep 17, 2027
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.72%0.95%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026$29.1bn$18m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
In the S&P 500, by weight0%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund37.2%

Method

Side by side

EEM iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF TSEP FT Vest Emerging Markets Buffer ETF - September
Where it sits Stock ETF Buffer ETF
Issuer iShares First Trust
What it is Tracks an index of Emerging markets Defined outcome, 10% on EEM
Total return, 1 year +16.3% +9.3%
Its benchmark over the same days not measured +14.1% (EEM)
Gap to its benchmark not measured −4.8 pts vs EEM
Expense ratio 0.72% 0.95%
Holdings 1186 not read by ETFIQ
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $29.1bn $18m

EEM and TSEP on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Alert

EEM and TSEP flows, by email on Sundays.

One-click unsubscribe. See Privacy.

About each fund
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.

TSEP

From its price on Oct 28, 2026, the fund can gain about 31.5% more before it reaches its cap. Protection left, in index points: 4.8% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's EEM level. 324 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Sep 17, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

Questions people ask

Are EEM and TSEP in the same category?
EEM is a stock ETF and TSEP 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 TSEP?
In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EEM returned +16.3% and TSEP +9.3%.
Which is cheaper, EEM or TSEP?
EEM is cheaper, by 0.23 percentage points a year. That is about $23 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
EEM vs TMAREEM vs TDECEEM vs TJUNEBUF vs EEMTSEP vs VWOIEMG vs TSEPEAPR vs EEMEEM vs EOCT
Where to next
EEM on its own →TSEP on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →EEM dividend history →EEM holdings →Standards and sources →
Sources and dates
EEM filings on SEC EDGAR ↗
EEM prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗
iShares page for EEM ↗
TSEP filings on SEC EDGAR ↗
First Trust page for TSEP ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, EEM against TSEP, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/eem-vs-tsep

Open data →

Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.