Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
EMB vs IEFA: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EMB returned −0.4% to IEFA's +12.3%; 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 $190.4bn for iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF.
Pair scorecard
IEFA costs 0.32 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 12.7 points; IEFA is 14.4 times larger.
| Measure | EMB | IEFA |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −0.4% | +12.3% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 3.5%, high on Jun 29, 2026 | 4.7%, high on Aug 25, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Core Index | MSCI EAFE IMI Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.39% | 0.07% |
| Net assets | $13.2bn | $190.4bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 12.3% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, EMB and IEFA 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 IEFA 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.
IEFA
IEFA tracks the MSCI EAFE. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +12.3% with distributions reinvested, against +14.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% 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 2,629 positions, with the top ten at 12.3%. It sat 4.7% below its high of Aug 25, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EMB or IEFA?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EMB returned −0.4% and IEFA +12.3%.
- Which is cheaper, EMB or IEFA?
- IEFA is cheaper, by 0.32 percentage points a year. That is about $32 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 IEFA, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-iefa
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). EMB against IEFA. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-iefa
[EMB against IEFA (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-iefa)
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