Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
EEM vs VYM: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EEM returned +16.3% to VYM's +18.0%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $29.1bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, and $78.9bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF.
Pair scorecard
VYM costs 0.68 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.7 points; VYM is 2.5 times larger.
| Measure | EEM | VYM |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +16.3% | +18.0% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 10.8%, high on Jun 22, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI Emerging Markets Index | FTSE High Dividend Yield Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.72% | 0.04% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $31.1bn | $78.9bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 37.2% | 26.2% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Nov 24, 2006 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,039 weekly returnsVYM returned more: +487.1% to +158.3%. VYM swung less: 16.7% to 23.6%. VYM fell slightly less at its worst: −56.7% to −62.6%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | EEM | VYM | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +158.3% | +487.1% | VYM | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +4.9% | +9.3% | VYM | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +70.7% | +220.2% | VYM | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 23.6% | 16.7% | VYM | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 16.5% | 11.8% | VYM | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −62.6% | −56.7% | VYM (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.25 | 0.52 | VYM | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.36 | 0.73 | VYM | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.08 | 0.16 | VYM | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,039 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, EEM and VYM hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
EEM and VYM on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
EEM and VYM do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. EEM follows MSCI Emerging Markets Index and VYM follows FTSE High Dividend Yield Index.
- Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026).
- Cost. EEM charges 0.72% of assets a year and VYM 0.04%, a gap of 0.68 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.
VYM
VYM tracks an index of US high dividend. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +18.0% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.04% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 90% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 595 positions, with the top ten at 26.2%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EEM or VYM?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EEM returned +16.3% and VYM +18.0%.
- Which is cheaper, EEM or VYM?
- VYM is cheaper, by 0.68 percentage points a year. That is about $68 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.
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ETFIQ, EEM against VYM, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/eem-vs-vym
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