Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
EEM vs XLG: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EEM returned +16.3% to XLG's +6.4%; 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 $11.9bn for Invesco S&P 500 Top 50 ETF.
Pair scorecard
XLG costs 0.52 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 9.9 points; EEM is 2.4 times larger.
| Measure | EEM | XLG |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +16.3% | +6.4% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 10.8%, high on Jun 22, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI Emerging Markets Index | S&P 500 Top 50 Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.72% | 0.20% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $29.1bn | $11.9bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 37.2% | 60.3% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, EEM and XLG 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 XLG on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
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.
XLG
XLG tracks the S&P 500 top 50. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +6.4% with distributions reinvested, against +13.7% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.20% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 98% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 53 positions, with the top ten at 60.3%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EEM or XLG?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EEM returned +16.3% and XLG +6.4%.
- Which is cheaper, EEM or XLG?
- XLG is cheaper, by 0.52 percentage points a year. That is about $52 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 XLG, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/eem-vs-xlg
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). EEM against XLG. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/eem-vs-xlg
[EEM against XLG (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/eem-vs-xlg)
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