Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
EMB vs VBK: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EMB returned −0.4% to VBK's +10.3%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $13.2bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF, and $22.8bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF.
Pair scorecard
VBK costs 0.34 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 10.7 points; VBK is 1.8 times larger.
| Measure | EMB | VBK |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −0.4% | +10.3% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 3.5%, high on Jun 29, 2026 | 8.0%, high on Aug 17, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Core Index | Morningstar US Small Cap Growth Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.39% | 0.05% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $12.9bn | $22.8bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 10% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 12.2% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Dec 28, 2007 to Oct 23, 2026 · 982 weekly returnsVBK returned more: +420.8% to +126.2%. EMB swung less: 11.3% to 23.3%. EMB fell less at its worst: −32.0% to −54.7%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | EMB | VBK | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +126.2% | +420.8% | VBK | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +4.4% | +9.1% | VBK | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | −9.4% | +356.8% | VBK | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 11.3% | 23.3% | EMB | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 8.4% | 16.3% | EMB | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −32.0% | −54.7% | EMB | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.31 | 0.43 | VBK | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.42 | 0.61 | VBK | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.14 | 0.17 | VBK | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 982 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, EMB and VBK hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
EMB and VBK on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
EMB and VBK do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. EMB follows J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Core Index and VBK follows Morningstar US Small Cap Growth Index.
- Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 EMB returned −0.4% and VBK +10.3% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 10.7 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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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.
VBK
VBK tracks an index of Small-Cap Growth. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +10.3% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 10% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 554 positions, with the top ten at 12.2%. It sat 8.0% below its high of Aug 17, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EMB or VBK?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EMB returned −0.4% and VBK +10.3%.
- Which is cheaper, EMB or VBK?
- VBK is cheaper, by 0.34 percentage points a year. That is about $34 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 VBK, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-vbk
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). EMB against VBK. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-vbk
[EMB against VBK (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-vbk)
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