EMGAX vs. EEM

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Allspring Emerging Markets Equity Fund (EMGAX) and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM).

EMGAX is managed by Allspring Global Investments. It was launched on Sep 5, 1994. EEM is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. It was launched on Apr 11, 2003.

Performance

EMGAX vs. EEM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Allspring Emerging Markets Equity Fund (EMGAX) and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

EMGAX vs. EEM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
EMGAX Allspring Emerging Markets Equity Fund	-1.17%	36.30%	3.38%	8.37%	-19.74%	-12.13%	20.86%	27.57%	-16.09%	36.26%
EEM iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	3.80%	33.98%	6.49%	8.95%	-20.56%	-3.63%	17.02%	18.22%	-15.31%	37.26%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, EMGAX achieves a -1.17% return, which is significantly lower than EEM's 3.80% return. Over the past 10 years, EMGAX has underperformed EEM with an annualized return of 7.11%, while EEM has yielded a comparatively higher 7.58% annualized return.

EMGAX

• 1D: -0.12%
• 1M: -12.56%
• YTD: -1.17%
• 6M: 3.30%
• 1Y: 28.56%
• 3Y*: 13.06%
• 5Y*: 0.86%
• 10Y*: 7.11%

EEM

• 1D: 3.73%
• 1M: -9.25%
• YTD: 3.80%
• 6M: 7.87%
• 1Y: 33.09%
• 3Y*: 15.72%
• 5Y*: 3.45%
• 10Y*: 7.58%

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

EMGAX vs. EEM - Expense Ratio Comparison

EMGAX has a 1.43% expense ratio, which is higher than EEM's 0.72% expense ratio.

EMGAX

Allspring Emerging Markets Equity Fund

EEM

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

Return for Risk

EMGAX vs. EEM — Risk / Return Rank

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

EMGAX

EMGAX Risk / Return Rank: 81
EMGAX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 84
EMGAX Sortino Ratio Rank: 82
EMGAX Omega Ratio Rank: 80
EMGAX Calmar Ratio Rank: 80
EMGAX Martin Ratio Rank: 77

EEM

EEM Risk / Return Rank: 86
EEM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
EEM Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
EEM Omega Ratio Rank: 85
EEM Calmar Ratio Rank: 86
EEM Martin Ratio Rank: 86

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.

EMGAX vs. EEM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Allspring Emerging Markets Equity Fund (EMGAX) and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM). 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.

	EMGAX	EEM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.60	1.64	-0.05
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.11	2.23	-0.11
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.32	1.33	-0.01
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.90	2.43	-0.53
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.45	9.41	-1.95
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

EMGAX vs. EEM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current EMGAX Sharpe Ratio is 1.60, which is comparable to the EEM Sharpe Ratio of 1.64. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of EMGAX and EEM, 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

	EMGAX	EEM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.60	1.64	-0.05
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.05	0.19	-0.14
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.40	0.37	+0.02
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.33	0.35	-0.02

Correlation

The correlation between EMGAX and EEM is 0.89, 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

EMGAX vs. EEM - Dividend Comparison

EMGAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.83%, less than EEM's 2.14% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
EMGAX Allspring Emerging Markets Equity Fund	1.83%	1.80%	1.06%	0.92%	0.78%	0.24%	0.06%	0.67%	0.36%	1.49%	0.67%	0.59%
EEM iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	2.14%	2.22%	2.43%	2.63%	2.50%	1.99%	1.45%	2.76%	2.24%	1.89%	1.89%	2.49%

Drawdowns

EMGAX vs. EEM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum EMGAX drawdown since its inception was -61.83%, smaller than the maximum EEM drawdown of -66.43%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for EMGAX and EEM.

Drawdown Indicators

	EMGAX	EEM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-61.83%	-66.43%	+4.60%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.59%	-13.52%	-0.07%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-43.48%	-37.82%	-5.66%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-45.89%	-39.82%	-6.07%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-13.59%	-10.30%	-3.29%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-17.28%	-16.12%	-1.16%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.47%	3.49%	-0.02%

Volatility

EMGAX vs. EEM - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Allspring Emerging Markets Equity Fund (EMGAX) is 8.18%, while iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM) has a volatility of 10.70%. This indicates that EMGAX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than EEM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	EMGAX	EEM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.18%	10.70%	-2.52%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.99%	15.12%	-2.13%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.66%	20.23%	-2.57%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.54%	18.43%	-0.89%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.00%	20.32%	-2.32%