IEMA.L vs. IEFA

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares MSCI EM UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (IEMA.L) and iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA).

IEMA.L and IEFA are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IEMA.L is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. It was launched on Sep 25, 2009. IEFA is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI EAFE Investable Market Index. It was launched on Oct 18, 2012. Both IEMA.L and IEFA 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

IEMA.L vs. IEFA - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares MSCI EM UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (IEMA.L) and iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

IEMA.L vs. IEFA - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
IEMA.L iShares MSCI EM UCITS ETF USD (Acc)	4.92%	34.41%	7.61%	9.43%	-20.23%	-2.83%	19.01%	15.75%	-13.95%	36.71%
IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF	2.74%	32.08%	3.26%	17.95%	-15.24%	11.63%	8.18%	22.64%	-14.14%	26.57%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IEMA.L achieves a 4.92% return, which is significantly higher than IEFA's 2.74% return. Over the past 10 years, IEMA.L has underperformed IEFA with an annualized return of 8.22%, while IEFA has yielded a comparatively higher 9.02% annualized return.

IEMA.L

• 1D: 4.28%
• 1M: -5.77%
• YTD: 4.92%
• 6M: 9.12%
• 1Y: 35.15%
• 3Y*: 16.85%
• 5Y*: 4.37%
• 10Y*: 8.22%

IEFA

• 1D: 1.52%
• 1M: -4.68%
• YTD: 2.74%
• 6M: 6.58%
• 1Y: 25.75%
• 3Y*: 15.08%
• 5Y*: 8.12%
• 10Y*: 9.02%

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

IEMA.L vs. IEFA - Expense Ratio Comparison

IEMA.L has a 0.18% expense ratio, which is higher than IEFA's 0.07% 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%.

IEMA.L

iShares MSCI EM UCITS ETF USD (Acc)

IEFA

iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF

Return for Risk

IEMA.L vs. IEFA — Risk / Return Rank

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

IEMA.L

IEMA.L Risk / Return Rank: 85
IEMA.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 87
IEMA.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
IEMA.L Omega Ratio Rank: 84
IEMA.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 86
IEMA.L Martin Ratio Rank: 84

IEFA

IEFA Risk / Return Rank: 78
IEFA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 77
IEFA Sortino Ratio Rank: 79
IEFA Omega Ratio Rank: 77
IEFA Calmar Ratio Rank: 80
IEFA Martin Ratio Rank: 78

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.

IEMA.L vs. IEFA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI EM UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (IEMA.L) and iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA). 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.

	IEMA.L	IEFA	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.83	1.46	+0.37
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.40	2.07	+0.33
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.34	1.30	+0.04
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.77	2.27	+0.51
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	10.15	8.75	+1.39
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IEMA.L vs. IEFA - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IEMA.L Sharpe Ratio is 1.83, which is comparable to the IEFA Sharpe Ratio of 1.46. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IEMA.L and IEFA, 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

	IEMA.L	IEFA	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.83	1.46	+0.37
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.24	0.50	-0.26
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.43	0.52	-0.10
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.24	0.49	-0.25

Correlation

The correlation between IEMA.L and IEFA is 0.58, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

IEMA.L vs. IEFA - Dividend Comparison

IEMA.L has not paid dividends to shareholders, while IEFA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.46%.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
IEMA.L iShares MSCI EM UCITS ETF USD (Acc)	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF	3.46%	3.55%	3.47%	3.20%	2.70%	3.32%	1.90%	3.18%	3.46%	2.57%	2.96%	2.63%

Drawdowns

IEMA.L vs. IEFA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IEMA.L drawdown since its inception was -39.66%, which is greater than IEFA's maximum drawdown of -34.78%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IEMA.L and IEFA.

Drawdown Indicators

	IEMA.L	IEFA	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-39.66%	-34.78%	-4.88%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.76%	-11.50%	-1.26%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-37.08%	-30.41%	-6.67%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-39.66%	-34.78%	-4.88%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.93%	-6.75%	-2.18%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-15.43%	-6.74%	-8.69%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.49%	2.98%	+0.51%

Volatility

IEMA.L vs. IEFA - Volatility Comparison

iShares MSCI EM UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (IEMA.L) has a higher volatility of 8.70% compared to iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) at 7.51%. This indicates that IEMA.L's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IEFA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IEMA.L	IEFA	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.70%	7.51%	+1.19%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.19%	11.14%	+3.05%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.13%	17.67%	+1.46%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	18.17%	16.36%	+1.81%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	19.33%	17.24%	+2.09%