Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
EMB vs VPL: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EMB returned −0.4% to VPL's +24.8%; 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 $9.0bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF.
Pair scorecard
VPL costs 0.32 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 25.2 points; EMB is 1.4 times larger.
| Measure | EMB | VPL |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −0.4% | +24.8% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 3.5%, high on Jun 29, 2026 | 7.2%, high on Jun 22, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Core Index | FTSE Developed Asia Pacific All Cap Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.39% | 0.07% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $12.9bn | $9.0bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 24.8% | |
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 returnsVPL returned more: +171.7% to +126.2%. EMB swung less: 11.3% to 18.4%. EMB fell less at its worst: −32.0% to −51.5%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | EMB | VPL | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +126.2% | +171.7% | VPL | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +4.4% | +5.4% | VPL | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | −9.4% | +61.2% | VPL | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 11.3% | 18.4% | EMB | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 8.4% | 13.4% | EMB | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −32.0% | −51.5% | EMB | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.31 | 0.30 | EMB (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.42 | 0.42 | Tie | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.14 | 0.11 | EMB | 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 VPL 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 VPL on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
EMB and VPL do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. EMB follows J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Core Index and VPL follows FTSE Developed Asia Pacific All Cap 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 VPL +24.8% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 25.2 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.
VPL
VPL tracks an index of Pacific Stock. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +24.8% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 2,343 positions, with the top ten at 24.8%. It sat 7.2% below its high of Jun 22, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EMB or VPL?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EMB returned −0.4% and VPL +24.8%.
- Which is cheaper, EMB or VPL?
- VPL 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.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, EMB against VPL, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-vpl
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). EMB against VPL. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-vpl
[EMB against VPL (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-vpl)
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