EMXF vs. LDEM

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares ESG Advanced MSCI EM ETF (EMXF) and iShares ESG MSCI EM Leaders ETF (LDEM).

EMXF and LDEM are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. EMXF is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets Choice ESG Screened 5% Issuer Capped Index. It was launched on Oct 6, 2020. LDEM is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI EM Extended ESG Leaders 5% Issuer Capped Index. It was launched on Feb 5, 2020. Both EMXF and LDEM 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

EMXF vs. LDEM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares ESG Advanced MSCI EM ETF (EMXF) and iShares ESG MSCI EM Leaders ETF (LDEM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

EMXF vs. LDEM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
EMXF iShares ESG Advanced MSCI EM ETF	2.81%	29.40%	8.03%	6.63%	-18.99%	4.45%	15.32%
LDEM iShares ESG MSCI EM Leaders ETF	-0.25%	32.49%	5.87%	6.49%	-22.46%	-2.03%	13.46%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, EMXF achieves a 2.81% return, which is significantly higher than LDEM's -0.25% return.

EMXF

• 1D: 3.35%
• 1M: -8.16%
• YTD: 2.81%
• 6M: 8.14%
• 1Y: 29.67%
• 3Y*: 14.20%
• 5Y*: 4.25%
• 10Y*: —

LDEM

• 1D: 3.27%
• 1M: -7.84%
• YTD: -0.25%
• 6M: 0.54%
• 1Y: 23.06%
• 3Y*: 11.73%
• 5Y*: 1.19%
• 10Y*: —

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

EMXF vs. LDEM - Expense Ratio Comparison

Both EMXF and LDEM have an expense ratio of 0.16%, making them cost-effective options compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios typically range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

EMXF

iShares ESG Advanced MSCI EM ETF

LDEM

iShares ESG MSCI EM Leaders ETF

Return for Risk

EMXF vs. LDEM — Risk / Return Rank

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

EMXF

EMXF Risk / Return Rank: 83
EMXF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 83
EMXF Sortino Ratio Rank: 83
EMXF Omega Ratio Rank: 81
EMXF Calmar Ratio Rank: 83
EMXF Martin Ratio Rank: 83

LDEM

LDEM Risk / Return Rank: 68
LDEM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 68
LDEM Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
LDEM Omega Ratio Rank: 67
LDEM Calmar Ratio Rank: 70
LDEM Martin Ratio Rank: 65

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.

EMXF vs. LDEM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares ESG Advanced MSCI EM ETF (EMXF) and iShares ESG MSCI EM Leaders ETF (LDEM). 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.

	EMXF	LDEM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.61	1.19	+0.41
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.19	1.71	+0.47
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.31	1.24	+0.07
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.38	1.77	+0.61
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.33	6.40	+2.93
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

EMXF vs. LDEM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current EMXF Sharpe Ratio is 1.61, which is higher than the LDEM Sharpe Ratio of 1.19. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of EMXF and LDEM, 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

	EMXF	LDEM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.61	1.19	+0.41
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.20	0.06	+0.13
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.36	0.22	+0.14

Correlation

The correlation between EMXF and LDEM is 0.85, 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

EMXF vs. LDEM - Dividend Comparison

EMXF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.34%, more than LDEM's 3.26% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
EMXF iShares ESG Advanced MSCI EM ETF	3.34%	3.43%	2.92%	2.25%	2.42%	1.87%	0.41%
LDEM iShares ESG MSCI EM Leaders ETF	3.26%	3.26%	2.64%	3.20%	4.93%	1.82%	1.89%

Drawdowns

EMXF vs. LDEM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum EMXF drawdown since its inception was -33.13%, smaller than the maximum LDEM drawdown of -40.82%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for EMXF and LDEM.

Drawdown Indicators

	EMXF	LDEM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-33.13%	-40.82%	+7.69%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.53%	-13.21%	+0.68%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-32.89%	-39.17%	+6.28%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.60%	-10.37%	+0.77%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-12.34%	-17.72%	+5.38%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.19%	3.65%	-0.46%

Volatility

EMXF vs. LDEM - Volatility Comparison

iShares ESG Advanced MSCI EM ETF (EMXF) has a higher volatility of 9.71% compared to iShares ESG MSCI EM Leaders ETF (LDEM) at 8.07%. This indicates that EMXF's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than LDEM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	EMXF	LDEM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	9.71%	8.07%	+1.64%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.59%	13.06%	+0.53%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.56%	19.39%	-0.83%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.82%	18.95%	+2.87%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.61%	20.76%	+0.85%