Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
EMB vs EWJ: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EMB returned −0.4% to EWJ's +18.1%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 28, 2026: $13.2bn for iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF and $23.9bn for iShares MSCI Japan ETF.
Pair scorecard
EMB costs 0.10 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 18.5 points; EWJ is 1.8 times larger.
| Measure | EMB | EWJ |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −0.4% | +18.1% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 3.5%, high on Jun 29, 2026 | 4.4%, high on Oct 6, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Core Index | MSCI Japan Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.39% | 0.49% |
| Net assets | $13.2bn | $23.9bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 29.5% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, EMB and EWJ 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
EMB and EWJ on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
EMB
EMB tracks the J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −0.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.39% a year. It sat 3.5% below its high of Jun 29, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
EWJ
EWJ tracks the MSCI Japan. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +18.1% with distributions reinvested, against +14.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.49% 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 169 positions, with the top ten at 29.5%. It sat 4.4% below its high of Oct 6, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EMB or EWJ?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EMB returned −0.4% and EWJ +18.1%.
- Which is cheaper, EMB or EWJ?
- EMB is cheaper, by 0.10 percentage points a year. That is about $10 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, EMB against EWJ, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-ewj
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). EMB against EWJ. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-ewj
[EMB against EWJ (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-ewj)
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