Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
EEM vs VUG: how they differ
EEM and VUG hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and EEM returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and Vanguard Growth Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EEM and VUG hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in EEM | Only in VUG |
|---|---|
| TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING 15.18% | NVIDIA Corp 12.63% |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS LTD 7.46% | Apple Inc 11.67% |
| SK HYNIX 6.07% | Microsoft Corp 7.62% |
| TENCENT HOLDINGS 2.65% | Alphabet Inc 5.76% |
| ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING 1.82% | Alphabet Inc 4.54% |
| MEDIATEK 1.71% | Amazon.com Inc 4.47% |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS NON VOTING PRE 0.97% | Broadcom Inc 4.29% |
| CHINA CONSTRUCTION BANK CORP H 0.83% | Meta Platforms Inc 3.41% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Sep 10, 2026.
| EEM iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | VUG Vanguard Growth Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | Emerging markets | US growth |
| Total return, 1 year | +32.3% | +12.9% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +14.8 pts | −4.6 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.72% | 0.03% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 97.4% |
| Holdings | 965 | 147 |
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.
VUG in plain words
VUG is an index equity fund tracking the US growth. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +12.9% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 97% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 147 positions, with the top ten at 60.5%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EEM or VUG?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EEM returned +32.3% and VUG returned +12.9%, so EEM returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, EEM or VUG?
- EEM charges 0.72% a year and VUG charges 0.03%, so VUG is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do EEM and VUG overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of EEM and 97% of VUG by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
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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, EEM against VUG, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/eem-vs-vug Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources