Which returned more over the last year, EMXC or IAU?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EMXC returned +33.8% and IAU +2.7%.

Which is cheaper, EMXC or IAU?

Neither: EMXC and IAU both charge 0.25% a year. Fees come from each fund's own filings.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

EMXC vs IAU: Differences, Returns & Fees

EMXC is an equity index fund and IAU a commodity fund, and over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EMXC returned +33.8% against +2.7%.

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Net assets on Oct 28, 2026: $26.9bn for iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF and $60.1bn for iShares Gold Trust.

EMXC on its own →IAU on its own →

At a glance

+33.8%

EMXC total return, 1 year

+2.7%

IAU total return, 1 year

0.25%

EMXC expense ratio

0.25%

IAU expense ratio

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.25% a year; their one-year returns differ by 31.1 points; IAU is 2.2 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

EMXC vs IAU: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	EMXC	IAU
Return
Measure	EMXC	IAU
Total return, 1 year	+33.8%	+2.7%
Drawdown
Measure	EMXC	IAU
Below its high	11.3%, high on Jun 22, 2026	24.6%, high on Jan 29, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	EMXC	IAU
What it tracks	MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index	Gold
Cost and size
Measure	EMXC	IAU
Expense ratio	0.25%	0.25%
Net assets	$26.9bn	$60.1bn
Holdings
Measure	EMXC	IAU
Holdings in common	not published
In the S&P 500, by weight	0%
Holdings dated	Oct 27, 2026
Top ten holdings, share of the fund	42.2%

Method

Side by side

EMXC iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF IAU iShares Gold Trust

Where it sits Stock ETF Commodity ETF

Issuer iShares iShares

What it is Tracks the MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Holds gold

Total return, 1 year +33.8% +2.7%

Its benchmark over the same days +37.0% (KEMX) +2.5% (GLD)

Gap to its benchmark −3.2 pts vs KEMX +0.2 pts vs GLD

Expense ratio 0.25% 0.25%

Holdings 696 not counted

Net assets $26.9bn $60.1bn

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

Alert

About each fund

EMXC

EMXC tracks the MSCI Emerging Markets ex China. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +33.8% with distributions reinvested, against +37.0% for its benchmark, the MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.25% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 696 positions, with the top ten at 42.2%. It sat 11.3% below its high of Jun 22, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

IAU

Its expense ratio is 0.25% a year, for the three months to Jun 30, 2026, as its 10-Q states.

IAU holds gold. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +2.7% with distributions reinvested, against +2.5% for its benchmark, the price of gold. It sat 24.6% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, EMXC or IAU?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EMXC returned +33.8% and IAU +2.7%.
Which is cheaper, EMXC or IAU?: Neither: EMXC and IAU both charge 0.25% a year. Fees come from each fund's own filings.

Other comparisons

EMXC vs GLDM EMXC vs GLD BWET vs EMXC EMXC vs SLV IAU vs VWO IAU vs IEMG AVEM vs IAU EEM vs IAU

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

EMXC filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

EMXC prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for EMXC ↗

iShares page for IAU ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, EMXC against IAU, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emxc-vs-iau

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