Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
EMB vs XBI: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EMB returned −0.4% to XBI's +41.2%, and XBI charges 0.35% 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 $10.3bn on Oct 27, 2026 for State Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETF.
Pair scorecard
XBI costs 0.04 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 41.6 points; EMB is 1.3 times larger.
| Measure | EMB | XBI |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −0.4% | +41.2% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 3.5%, high on Jun 29, 2026 | |
| Below its all-time high | 8.9%, high on Feb 8, 2021 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Core Index | Biotech |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.39% | 0.35% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $13.2bn | $10.3bn |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 98% | |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 13% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 18% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, EMB and XBI hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
EMB and XBI on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
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.
XBI
By weight, 13% of XBI's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 98%. The top ten holdings are 18% of the fund across 165 positions, as published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 the fund returned +41.2% with distributions reinvested. It sits 8.9% below its all-time high of Feb 8, 2021.
Questions people ask
- Are EMB and XBI in the same category?
- EMB is a bond ETF and XBI is a thematic ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
- Which returned more over the last year, EMB or XBI?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EMB returned −0.4% and XBI +41.2%.
- Which is cheaper, EMB or XBI?
- XBI is cheaper, by 0.04 percentage points a year. That is about $4 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 XBI, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-xbi
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). EMB against XBI. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-xbi
[EMB against XBI (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-xbi)
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