DIEM vs. SPEM

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Franklin Emerging Market Core Dividend Tilt Index ETF (DIEM) and SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF (SPEM).

DIEM and SPEM are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. DIEM is a passively managed fund by Franklin Templeton that tracks the performance of the Morningstar Emerging Markets Dividend Enhanced Select Index. It was launched on Jun 1, 2016. SPEM is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P Emerging Markets BMI. It was launched on Mar 19, 2007. Both DIEM and SPEM are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

DIEM vs. SPEM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Franklin Emerging Market Core Dividend Tilt Index ETF (DIEM) and SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF (SPEM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

DIEM vs. SPEM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
DIEM Franklin Emerging Market Core Dividend Tilt Index ETF	5.34%	30.81%	12.29%	15.41%	-20.61%	6.92%	1.27%	12.23%	-11.29%	27.61%
SPEM SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF	0.21%	25.63%	11.40%	10.51%	-17.90%	1.51%	14.55%	19.69%	-13.26%	34.82%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DIEM achieves a 5.34% return, which is significantly higher than SPEM's 0.21% return.

DIEM

• 1D: 3.69%
• 1M: -8.22%
• YTD: 5.34%
• 6M: 11.28%
• 1Y: 34.56%
• 3Y*: 19.05%
• 5Y*: 7.59%
• 10Y*: —

SPEM

• 1D: 3.17%
• 1M: -7.13%
• YTD: 0.21%
• 6M: 1.89%
• 1Y: 22.70%
• 3Y*: 14.39%
• 5Y*: 4.29%
• 10Y*: 8.16%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

DIEM vs. SPEM - Expense Ratio Comparison

DIEM has a 0.19% expense ratio, which is higher than SPEM's 0.11% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

DIEM

Franklin Emerging Market Core Dividend Tilt Index ETF

SPEM

SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF

Return for Risk

DIEM vs. SPEM — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

DIEM

DIEM Risk / Return Rank: 89
DIEM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
DIEM Sortino Ratio Rank: 89
DIEM Omega Ratio Rank: 90
DIEM Calmar Ratio Rank: 88
DIEM Martin Ratio Rank: 89

SPEM

SPEM Risk / Return Rank: 74
SPEM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 75
SPEM Sortino Ratio Rank: 74
SPEM Omega Ratio Rank: 74
SPEM Calmar Ratio Rank: 74
SPEM Martin Ratio Rank: 72

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

DIEM vs. SPEM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Franklin Emerging Market Core Dividend Tilt Index ETF (DIEM) and SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF (SPEM). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	DIEM	SPEM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.88	1.28	+0.60
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.51	1.80	+0.72
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.38	1.26	+0.12
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.79	1.82	+0.98
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.28	7.01	+4.27
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DIEM vs. SPEM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DIEM Sharpe Ratio is 1.88, which is higher than the SPEM Sharpe Ratio of 1.28. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DIEM and SPEM, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	DIEM	SPEM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.88	1.28	+0.60
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.47	0.25	+0.21
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.44	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.42	0.21	+0.21

Correlation

The correlation between DIEM and SPEM is 0.92, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

DIEM vs. SPEM - Dividend Comparison

DIEM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.90%, more than SPEM's 2.77% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DIEM Franklin Emerging Market Core Dividend Tilt Index ETF	2.90%	2.99%	4.92%	4.45%	6.31%	4.06%	2.75%	5.98%	3.87%	2.61%	0.35%	0.00%
SPEM SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF	2.77%	2.77%	2.78%	2.80%	3.38%	3.14%	1.92%	2.94%	2.34%	1.12%	1.51%	2.40%

Drawdowns

DIEM vs. SPEM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DIEM drawdown since its inception was -38.61%, smaller than the maximum SPEM drawdown of -64.41%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DIEM and SPEM.

Drawdown Indicators

	DIEM	SPEM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-38.61%	-64.41%	+25.80%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.33%	-12.35%	+0.02%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-33.34%	-31.94%	-1.40%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-36.06%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.09%	-8.56%	-0.53%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.86%	-14.87%	+5.01%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.05%	3.20%	-0.15%

Volatility

DIEM vs. SPEM - Volatility Comparison

Franklin Emerging Market Core Dividend Tilt Index ETF (DIEM) has a higher volatility of 9.47% compared to SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF (SPEM) at 8.25%. This indicates that DIEM's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPEM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DIEM	SPEM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	9.47%	8.25%	+1.22%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.43%	12.23%	+1.20%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.43%	17.79%	+0.64%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.38%	16.95%	-0.57%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.41%	18.76%	-1.35%