ETF Versus

IEMG vs IWM

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF vs iShares Russell 2000 ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

IEMG iShares

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to stocks in emerging market economies with higher growth potential. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.09%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.63%. Launched in 2012, the fund has a 14-year track record.

AUM: $132.2B ER: 0.09% Yield: 2.63% Since: Oct 18, 2012
IWM iShares

iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.19%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.02%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $69.0B ER: 0.19% Yield: 1.02% Since: May 22, 2000

Quick Verdict

IEMG is significantly cheaper at 0.09% vs 0.19% expense ratio, saving you approximately $198 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. IEMG has edged ahead over the past year (29.6% vs 25.1%). Income investors may prefer IEMG for its higher yield (2.6% vs 1.0%).

Key Metrics

Metric IEMG IWM
Expense Ratio 0.09% 0.19%
Dividend Yield 2.6% 1.0%
Fund Family iShares iShares
Category Emerging Markets US Small Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

65 76 87 98 109 120 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IEMG +7.7%
IWM +10.9%

Performance Comparison

Period IEMG IWM Difference
1 Month -6.83% -5.40% -1.43%
3 Months +1.86% +0.31% +1.55%
6 Months +5.01% +1.52% +3.49%
YTD +1.86% +0.31% +1.55%
1 Year +29.64% +25.09% +4.55%
3 Years +43.63% +39.83% +3.80%
5 Years +7.71% +10.93% -3.22%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IEMG Fees IWM Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $179 $377 $198
$10.000 20 years $771 $1.613 $842
$10.000 30 years $2.486 $5.178 $2.692
$50.000 10 years $896 $1.884 $988
$50.000 30 years $12.428 $25.888 $13.460
$100.000 30 years $24.855 $51.776 $26.921

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IEMG IWM
Annualized Volatility 18.1% 22.6%
Max Drawdown -38.5% -33.1%
Sharpe Ratio -0.08 0.01

Dividend Comparison

Metric IEMG IWM
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.85 $2.54
Dividend Yield 2.63% 1.02%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

IEMG Top Holdings

NameWeight
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited!tpe/233011.60%
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!krx/0059304.66%
Tencent Holdings Limited!hkg/07003.32%
SK hynix Inc.!krx/0006602.75%
Alibaba Group Holding Limited!hkg/99882.22%
China Construction Bank Corporation!hkg/09390.82%
Delta Electronics, Inc.!tpe/23080.76%
HDFC Bank Limited!nse/HDFCBANK0.75%
Reliance Industries Limited!nse/RELIANCE0.71%
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.!tpe/23170.65%

IWM Top Holdings

NameWeight
Bloom Energy CorporationBE1.01%
FabrinetFN0.69%
Nextpower Inc.NXT0.61%
COEUR MINING INCCDE.NE0.60%
EchoStar CorporationSATS0.54%
Credo Technology Group Holding LtdCRDO0.53%
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.KTOS0.45%
Sterling Infrastructure, Inc.STRL0.43%
Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.AEIS0.41%
Hecla Mining CompanyHL0.39%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IEMG if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose IEMG if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose IEMG if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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