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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EMB returned −0.4% and SHY +1.6%.

Which is cheaper, EMB or SHY?

SHY is cheaper, by 0.24 percentage points a year. That is about $24 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

EMB vs SHY: Differences, Returns & Fees

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EMB's duration was 6.5 years on Jul 31, 2026 and SHY's 1.8 on Aug 31, 2026; SHY charges 0.15% 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 $27.4bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF.

EMB on its own →SHY on its own →

At a glance

−0.4%

EMB total return, 1 year

+1.6%

SHY total return, 1 year

0.39%

EMB expense ratio

0.15%

SHY expense ratio

Pair scorecard

SHY costs 0.24 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.0 points; SHY is 2.1 times larger.

EMB vs SHY: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	EMB	SHY
Return
Measure	EMB	SHY
Total return, 1 year	−0.4%	+1.6%
Drawdown
Measure	EMB	SHY
Below its high	3.5%, high on Jun 29, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	EMB	SHY
What it tracks	J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Core Index	ICE U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Bond Index
Cost and size
Measure	EMB	SHY
Expense ratio	0.39%	0.15%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$13.2bn	$27.4bn
Holdings
Measure	EMB	SHY
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 SHY 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 SHY

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 SHY

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Apr 30, 2028 1.97%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jan 31, 2028 1.71%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jun 30, 2028 1.61%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Apr 30, 2029 1.51%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due May 31, 2029 1.49%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Aug 15, 2027 1.48%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Jun 30, 2029 1.47%

U.S. Treasury Notes, due Feb 15, 2028 1.40%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

EMB iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF SHY iShares 1-3 Year Treasury 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 1-3 Year Treasury Bond

Total return, 1 year −0.4% +1.6%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured +1.7% (BBSB)

Gap to its benchmark not measured −0.1 pts vs BBSB

Expense ratio 0.39% 0.15%

Holdings 622 90

Net assets, EMB as of Oct 28, 2026 and SHY as of Oct 27, 2026 $13.2bn $27.4bn

EMB and SHY 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.

SHY

SHY tracks an index of 1-3 Year Treasury Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +1.6% with distributions reinvested, against +1.7% for its benchmark, the ICE U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, EMB or SHY?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EMB returned −0.4% and SHY +1.6%.
Which is cheaper, EMB or SHY?: SHY is cheaper, by 0.24 percentage points a year. That is about $24 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

EMB vs VGSH EMB vs IEI EMB vs MBB EMB vs PCY SCHO vs SHY SHY vs VTIP SHY vs USHY IBTJ vs SHY

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

EMB and SHY filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

EMB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for EMB ↗

SHY prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for SHY ↗

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 SHY, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-shy

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