EEMA vs. VPL

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF (EEMA) and Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF (VPL).

EEMA and VPL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. EEMA is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets Asia Index. It was launched on Feb 8, 2012. VPL is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the FTSE Developed Asia Pacific Index. It was launched on Mar 4, 2005. Both EEMA and VPL 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

EEMA vs. VPL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF (EEMA) and Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF (VPL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

EEMA vs. VPL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
EEMA iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF	1.82%	33.27%	10.23%	6.57%	-21.49%	-4.22%	25.17%	18.60%	-15.76%	43.41%
VPL Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF	8.11%	32.66%	1.68%	15.58%	-15.20%	1.10%	16.65%	18.16%	-14.40%	28.85%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, EEMA achieves a 1.82% return, which is significantly lower than VPL's 8.11% return. Over the past 10 years, EEMA has underperformed VPL with an annualized return of 8.32%, while VPL has yielded a comparatively higher 9.19% annualized return.

EEMA

• 1D: 3.56%
• 1M: -10.12%
• YTD: 1.82%
• 6M: 5.73%
• 1Y: 31.27%
• 3Y*: 14.95%
• 5Y*: 2.85%
• 10Y*: 8.32%

VPL

• 1D: 3.52%
• 1M: -10.28%
• YTD: 8.11%
• 6M: 14.30%
• 1Y: 39.82%
• 3Y*: 16.85%
• 5Y*: 6.86%
• 10Y*: 9.19%

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

EEMA vs. VPL - Expense Ratio Comparison

EEMA has a 0.50% expense ratio, which is higher than VPL's 0.08% expense ratio.

EEMA

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

VPL

Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF

Return for Risk

EEMA vs. VPL — Risk / Return Rank

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

EEMA

EEMA Risk / Return Rank: 80
EEMA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 80
EEMA Sortino Ratio Rank: 81
EEMA Omega Ratio Rank: 79
EEMA Calmar Ratio Rank: 81
EEMA Martin Ratio Rank: 80

VPL

VPL Risk / Return Rank: 91
VPL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 91
VPL Sortino Ratio Rank: 91
VPL Omega Ratio Rank: 91
VPL Calmar Ratio Rank: 90
VPL Martin Ratio Rank: 91

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.

EEMA vs. VPL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF (EEMA) and Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF (VPL). 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.

	EEMA	VPL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.47	1.95	-0.48
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.07	2.58	-0.51
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.30	1.38	-0.09
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.19	2.91	-0.72
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.36	11.94	-3.58
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

EEMA vs. VPL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current EEMA Sharpe Ratio is 1.47, which is comparable to the VPL Sharpe Ratio of 1.95. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of EEMA and VPL, 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

	EEMA	VPL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.47	1.95	-0.48
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.14	0.41	-0.27
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.40	0.54	-0.13
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.29	0.30	-0.01

Correlation

The correlation between EEMA and VPL is 0.74, 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

EEMA vs. VPL - Dividend Comparison

EEMA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.45%, less than VPL's 3.28% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
EEMA iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF	1.45%	1.48%	1.74%	2.02%	1.78%	2.19%	1.15%	1.86%	2.17%	1.74%	1.74%	2.44%
VPL Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF	3.28%	4.01%	3.15%	3.12%	2.75%	3.19%	1.81%	2.84%	3.06%	2.57%	2.65%	2.43%

Drawdowns

EEMA vs. VPL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum EEMA drawdown since its inception was -44.18%, smaller than the maximum VPL drawdown of -55.49%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for EEMA and VPL.

Drawdown Indicators

	EEMA	VPL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-44.18%	-55.49%	+11.31%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-14.30%	-13.33%	-0.97%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-40.87%	-31.09%	-9.78%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-44.18%	-33.90%	-10.28%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-11.25%	-10.28%	-0.97%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-14.12%	-11.71%	-2.41%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.75%	3.25%	+0.50%

Volatility

EEMA vs. VPL - Volatility Comparison

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF (EEMA) and Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF (VPL) have volatilities of 10.20% and 10.59%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	EEMA	VPL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	10.20%	10.59%	-0.39%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.24%	14.73%	+0.51%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	21.30%	20.49%	+0.81%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	19.94%	16.81%	+3.13%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.65%	17.10%	+3.55%