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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EMB returned −0.4% and VUSB +3.5%.

Which is cheaper, EMB or VUSB?

VUSB is cheaper, by 0.29 percentage points a year. That is about $29 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

EMB vs VUSB: Differences, Returns & Fees

Share on X Download as PDF

EMB's duration was 6.5 years on Jul 31, 2026 and VUSB's 1.0 on Jun 30, 2026; VUSB charges 0.10% to EMB's 0.39%.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about EMB and VUSB

Net assets: $13.2bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF, and $9.9bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF.

EMB on its own →VUSB on its own →

At a glance

−0.4%

EMB total return, 1 year

+3.5%

VUSB total return, 1 year

0.39%

EMB expense ratio

0.10%

VUSB expense ratio

Pair scorecard

VUSB costs 0.29 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 3.9 points; EMB is 1.3 times larger.

EMB vs VUSB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	EMB	VUSB
Return
Measure	EMB	VUSB
Total return, 1 year	−0.4%	+3.5%
Drawdown
Measure	EMB	VUSB
Below its high	3.5%, high on Jun 29, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	EMB	VUSB
What it tracks	J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Core Index	No index, actively managed
Cost and size
Measure	EMB	VUSB
Expense ratio	0.39%	0.10%
Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026	$12.9bn	$9.9bn
Holdings
Measure	EMB	VUSB
Holdings in common	0%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Jul 31, 2026. Method

Risk and return

Apr 16, 2021 to Oct 23, 2026 · 288 weekly returns

EMB VUSB

Return

Total return edge VUSB +8.1% +20.0%

Annualized edge VUSB +1.4% +3.3%

Price return edge VUSB −17.6% −1.0%

Risk

Volatility edge VUSB 8.9% 0.8%

Max drawdown edge VUSB −27.9% −1.7%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge EMB −0.20 −0.33

Sortino edge EMB −0.27 −0.45

Calmar edge VUSB 0.05 1.96

Reading

VUSB returned more: +20.0% to +8.1%. VUSB swung less: 0.8% to 8.9%. VUSB fell less at its worst: −1.7% to −27.9%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: EMB vs VUSB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	EMB	VUSB	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+8.1%	+20.0%	VUSB	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+1.4%	+3.3%	VUSB	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	−17.6%	−1.0%	VUSB	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	8.9%	0.8%	VUSB	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	6.6%	0.6%	VUSB	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−27.9%	−1.7%	VUSB	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	−0.20	−0.33	EMB	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	−0.27	−0.45	EMB	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	0.05	1.96	VUSB	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 288 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, EMB and VUSB hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and Jul 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first EMB VUSB

Oman Government International Bonds, due Oct 28, 2027 0.18% 0.11%

Turkiye Government International Bonds, due Sep 24, 2027 0.11% 0.08%

Republic of South Africa Government International Bonds, due Sep 27, 2027 0.12% 0.08%

Suci Second Investment Co, due Sep 10, 2027 0.06% 0.15%

Corp. Nacional del Cobre de Chile, due Aug 1, 2027 0.05% 0.08%

Egypt Government International Bond, due Feb 21, 2028 0.18% 0.05%

Oman Government International Bonds, due Jan 17, 2028 0.33% 0.02%

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 VUSB

TREASURY BILL, due Jun 10, 2027 4.19%

US TREASURY N/B, due Jul 31, 2027 0.67%

PNC FINANCIAL, due Oct 26, 2029 0.58%

US TREASURY N/B, due Jun 30, 2028 0.52%

REGIONS BANKS, due Jul 27, 2029 0.51%

US BANCORP, due Jun 12, 2029 0.50%

CHARLES SCHWAB, due Jul 27, 2029 0.49%

TRUIST BANK, due Jul 24, 2028 0.44%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

EMB iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF VUSB Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer iShares Vanguard

What it is Tracks the J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond Actively managed

Total return, 1 year −0.4% +3.5%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured −1.4% (AGG)

Gap to its benchmark not measured +4.9 pts vs AGG

Expense ratio 0.39% 0.10%

Holdings 622 1344

Net assets, EMB as of Oct 28, 2026 and VUSB as of Sep 30, 2026 $13.2bn $9.9bn

EMB and VUSB on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-B461CB312C

EMB and VUSB do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?

What each follows. EMB follows J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Core Index and VUSB follows No index, actively managed.
Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026).
One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 EMB returned −0.4% and VUSB +3.5% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 3.9 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

The two-page PDF for this pair is coming. Save the comparison to follow its changes. Free. It needs an email sign-in, once.

Your saved page · Privacy.

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.

VUSB

VUSB is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +3.5% with distributions reinvested, against −1.4% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.10% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, EMB or VUSB?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EMB returned −0.4% and VUSB +3.5%.
Which is cheaper, EMB or VUSB?: VUSB is cheaper, by 0.29 percentage points a year. That is about $29 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

EMB vs VBIL EMB vs USFR EMB vs PULS EMB vs SHV PFF vs VUSB HYG vs VUSB IGIB vs VUSB VTIP vs VUSB

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

EMB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

EMB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for EMB ↗

VUSB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

VUSB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for VUSB ↗

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

Open data →

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