EEMV vs. SPEM

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF (EEMV) and SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF (SPEM).

EEMV and SPEM are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. EEMV is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets Minimum Volatility Index. It was launched on Oct 18, 2011. 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 EEMV 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

EEMV vs. SPEM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF (EEMV) and SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF (SPEM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

EEMV vs. SPEM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
EEMV iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF	1.39%	13.45%	7.98%	7.75%	-13.94%	5.05%	6.90%	7.83%	-5.81%	27.28%
SPEM SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF	0.56%	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, EEMV achieves a 1.39% return, which is significantly higher than SPEM's 0.56% return. Over the past 10 years, EEMV has underperformed SPEM with an annualized return of 5.05%, while SPEM has yielded a comparatively higher 8.20% annualized return.

EEMV

• 1D: 0.31%
• 1M: -4.01%
• YTD: 1.39%
• 6M: 3.09%
• 1Y: 14.32%
• 3Y*: 9.17%
• 5Y*: 3.13%
• 10Y*: 5.05%

SPEM

• 1D: 0.34%
• 1M: -5.46%
• YTD: 0.56%
• 6M: 1.60%
• 1Y: 22.62%
• 3Y*: 14.52%
• 5Y*: 4.36%
• 10Y*: 8.20%

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

EEMV vs. SPEM - Expense Ratio Comparison

EEMV has a 0.25% 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%.

EEMV

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF

SPEM

SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF

Return for Risk

EEMV vs. SPEM — Risk / Return Rank

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

EEMV

EEMV Risk / Return Rank: 58
EEMV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 61
EEMV Sortino Ratio Rank: 58
EEMV Omega Ratio Rank: 60
EEMV Calmar Ratio Rank: 58
EEMV Martin Ratio Rank: 56

SPEM

SPEM Risk / Return Rank: 69
SPEM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 70
SPEM Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
SPEM Omega Ratio Rank: 69
SPEM Calmar Ratio Rank: 70
SPEM Martin Ratio Rank: 68

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.

EEMV vs. SPEM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF (EEMV) 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.

	EEMV	SPEM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.11	1.28	-0.16
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.55	1.79	-0.24
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.26	-0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.56	1.87	-0.32
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.86	7.12	-1.27
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

EEMV vs. SPEM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current EEMV Sharpe Ratio is 1.11, which is comparable to the SPEM Sharpe Ratio of 1.28. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of EEMV 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

	EEMV	SPEM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.11	1.28	-0.16
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.27	0.26	+0.02
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.37	0.44	-0.07
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.32	0.21	+0.11

Correlation

The correlation between EEMV 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

EEMV vs. SPEM - Dividend Comparison

EEMV's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.61%, less than SPEM's 2.76% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
EEMV iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF	2.61%	2.65%	3.50%	2.75%	1.93%	2.14%	2.45%	2.63%	2.46%	2.34%	2.79%	2.55%
SPEM SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF	2.76%	2.77%	2.78%	2.80%	3.38%	3.14%	1.92%	2.94%	2.34%	1.12%	1.51%	2.40%

Drawdowns

EEMV vs. SPEM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum EEMV drawdown since its inception was -31.56%, smaller than the maximum SPEM drawdown of -64.41%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for EEMV and SPEM.

Drawdown Indicators

	EEMV	SPEM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-31.56%	-64.41%	+32.85%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.22%	-12.35%	+3.13%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-21.97%	-31.94%	+9.97%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-31.56%	-36.06%	+4.50%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.59%	-8.25%	+1.66%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.05%	-14.87%	+6.82%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.45%	3.25%	-0.80%

Volatility

EEMV vs. SPEM - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Min Vol Factor ETF (EEMV) is 6.67%, while SPDR Portfolio Emerging Markets ETF (SPEM) has a volatility of 7.45%. This indicates that EEMV experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SPEM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	EEMV	SPEM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.67%	7.45%	-0.78%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.48%	12.23%	-2.75%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.91%	17.79%	-4.88%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	11.48%	16.94%	-5.46%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	13.74%	18.75%	-5.01%