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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EMB returned −0.4% and LQD −3.4%.

Which is cheaper, EMB or LQD?

LQD is cheaper, by 0.25 percentage points a year. That is about $25 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

EMB vs LQD: Differences, Returns & Fees

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EMB's duration was 6.5 years on Jul 31, 2026 and LQD's 7.7 on Aug 31, 2026; LQD charges 0.14% to EMB's 0.39%.

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Net assets: $13.2bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF, and $30.6bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF.

EMB on its own →LQD on its own →

At a glance

−0.4%

EMB total return, 1 year

−3.4%

LQD total return, 1 year

0.39%

EMB expense ratio

0.14%

LQD expense ratio

Pair scorecard

LQD costs 0.25 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 3.0 points; LQD is 2.3 times larger.

EMB vs LQD: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	EMB	LQD
Return
Measure	EMB	LQD
Total return, 1 year	−0.4%	−3.4%
Drawdown
Measure	EMB	LQD
Below its high	3.5%, high on Jun 29, 2026	6.3%, high on Sep 22, 2021
Benchmark
Measure	EMB	LQD
What it tracks	J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Core Index	Markit iBoxx USD Liquid Investment Grade Index
Cost and size
Measure	EMB	LQD
Expense ratio	0.39%	0.14%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$13.2bn	$30.6bn
Holdings
Measure	EMB	LQD
Holdings in common	0%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026. Method

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, EMB and LQD hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first EMB LQD

Only in one fund ↓

Only in EMB

Argentina Republic Government International Bonds, due Jul 9, 2035 1.21%

Ecuador Government International Bonds, due Jul 31, 2035 0.78%

Argentina Republic Government International Bonds, due Jan 9, 2038 0.70%

Argentina Republic Government International Bonds, due Jul 9, 2030 0.65%

Argentina Republic Government International Bonds, due Jul 9, 2041 0.57%

Ghana Government International Bonds, due Jul 3, 2035 0.55%

Uruguay Government International Bonds, due Jun 18, 2050 0.51%

Eagle Funding Luxco Sarl, due Aug 17, 2030 0.50%

Only in LQD

Anheuser-Busch Cos LLC / Anheuser-Busch InBev Worldwide Inc, due Feb 1, 2046 0.18%

CVS Health Corp, due Mar 25, 2048 0.17%

T-Mobile USA Inc, due Apr 15, 2030 0.17%

Space Exploration Technologies Corp, due Jul 15, 2031 0.17%

Meta Platforms Inc, due Nov 15, 2035 0.16%

Charter Communications Operating LLC / Charter Communications Operating Capital, due Sep 1, 2038 0.15%

Charter Communications Operating LLC / Charter Communications Operating Capital, due Sep 1, 2041 0.15%

Amazon.com Inc, due Mar 13, 2036 0.14%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

EMB iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF LQD iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer iShares iShares

What it is Tracks the J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond Tracks an index of US investment grade bonds

Total return, 1 year −0.4% −3.4%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured −1.2% (IUSB)

Gap to its benchmark not measured −2.2 pts vs IUSB

Expense ratio 0.39% 0.14%

Holdings 622 3191

Net assets, EMB as of Oct 28, 2026 and LQD as of Oct 27, 2026 $13.2bn $30.6bn

EMB and LQD 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.

LQD

LQD tracks an index of US investment grade bonds. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −3.4% with distributions reinvested, against −1.2% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.14% a year. It sat 6.3% below its high of Sep 22, 2021 on Oct 28, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, EMB or LQD?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EMB returned −0.4% and LQD −3.4%.
Which is cheaper, EMB or LQD?: LQD is cheaper, by 0.25 percentage points a year. That is about $25 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

EMB vs IGIB EMB vs VCIT EMB vs PCY EMB vs JAAA LQD vs USHY LQD vs VBIL LQD vs TIP LQD vs PFF

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

EMB and LQD filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

EMB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for EMB ↗

LQD prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for LQD ↗

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.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

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

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.