Which returned more over the last year, EMB or GLD?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EMB returned −0.4% and GLD +2.5%.

Which is cheaper, EMB or GLD?

EMB is cheaper, by 0.01 percentage points a year. That is about $1 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's own filings.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

EMB vs GLD: Differences, Returns & Fees

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EMB is a bond index fund and GLD a commodity fund, and over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GLD returned +2.5% against −0.4%.

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Net assets: $13.2bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF, and $135.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for SPDR Gold Shares.

EMB on its own →GLD on its own →

At a glance

−0.4%

EMB total return, 1 year

+2.5%

GLD total return, 1 year

0.39%

EMB expense ratio

0.40%

GLD expense ratio

Pair scorecard

EMB costs 0.01 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.9 points; GLD is 10.3 times larger.

EMB vs GLD: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	EMB	GLD
Return
Measure	EMB	GLD
Total return, 1 year	−0.4%	+2.5%
Drawdown
Measure	EMB	GLD
Below its high	3.5%, high on Jun 29, 2026	24.7%, high on Jan 29, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	EMB	GLD
What it tracks	J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Core Index	Gold
Cost and size
Measure	EMB	GLD
Expense ratio	0.39%	0.40%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$13.2bn	$135.8bn
Holdings
Measure	EMB	GLD
Holdings in common	not published

Method

Side by side

EMB iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF GLD SPDR Gold Shares

Where it sits Bond ETF Commodity ETF

Issuer iShares State Street

What it is Tracks the J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond Holds gold

Total return, 1 year −0.4% +2.5%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured +2.7% (IAU)

Gap to its benchmark not measured −0.2 pts vs IAU

Expense ratio 0.39% 0.40%

Holdings 622 not counted

Net assets, EMB as of Oct 28, 2026 and GLD as of Oct 27, 2026 $13.2bn $135.8bn

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

Alert

About each fund

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.

GLD

Its expense ratio is 0.40% a year, for the three months to Jun 30, 2026, as its 10-Q states.

GLD holds gold. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +2.5% with distributions reinvested, against +2.7% for its benchmark, the price of gold. It sat 24.7% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, EMB or GLD?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EMB returned −0.4% and GLD +2.5%.
Which is cheaper, EMB or GLD?: EMB is cheaper, by 0.01 percentage points a year. That is about $1 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's own filings.

Other comparisons

EMB vs IAU EMB vs GLDM EMB vs SLV EMB vs SIVR GLD vs IGIB GLD vs VTIP GLD vs USHY GLD vs SHY

Where to next

EMB on its own →GLD on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →EMB dividend history →EMB holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

EMB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

EMB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for EMB ↗

State Street website ↗

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

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, EMB against GLD, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-gld

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