IEMG vs. EMDM
Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) and First Trust Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies ETF (EMDM).
IEMG and EMDM are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IEMG is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI Emerging Markets Investable Market Index. It was launched on Oct 18, 2012. EMDM is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies Index - Benchmark TR Net. It was launched on Mar 2, 2023. Both IEMG and EMDM 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
IEMG vs. EMDM - Performance Comparison
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IEMG vs. EMDM - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
IEMG iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | 3.76% | 32.56% | 6.50% | 6.40% |
EMDM First Trust Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies ETF | 11.89% | 59.68% | -4.93% | 14.21% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, IEMG achieves a 3.76% return, which is significantly lower than EMDM's 11.89% return.
IEMG
- 1D
- 3.61%
- 1M
- -9.13%
- YTD
- 3.76%
- 6M
- 7.65%
- 1Y
- 33.09%
- 3Y*
- 16.07%
- 5Y*
- 4.37%
- 10Y*
- 8.23%
EMDM
- 1D
- 5.02%
- 1M
- -11.39%
- YTD
- 11.89%
- 6M
- 27.11%
- 1Y
- 68.49%
- 3Y*
- 24.85%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
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IEMG vs. EMDM - Expense Ratio Comparison
IEMG has a 0.09% expense ratio, which is lower than EMDM's 0.75% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
IEMG vs. EMDM — Risk / Return Rank
IEMG
EMDM
IEMG vs. EMDM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) and First Trust Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies ETF (EMDM). 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.
| IEMG | EMDM | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.68 | 2.93 | -1.25 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.27 | 3.54 | -1.26 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.34 | 1.54 | -0.21 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.48 | 4.31 | -1.82 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.61 | 18.18 | -8.57 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| IEMG | EMDM | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.68 | 2.93 | -1.25 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.25 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.42 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.28 | 1.27 | -1.00 |
Correlation
The correlation between IEMG and EMDM 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
IEMG vs. EMDM - Dividend Comparison
IEMG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.65%, less than EMDM's 3.19% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IEMG iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | 2.65% | 2.75% | 3.20% | 2.89% | 2.71% | 3.06% | 1.87% | 3.15% | 2.76% | 2.35% | 2.28% | 2.53% |
EMDM First Trust Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies ETF | 3.19% | 3.57% | 5.87% | 2.16% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
IEMG vs. EMDM - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IEMG drawdown since its inception was -38.71%, which is greater than EMDM's maximum drawdown of -18.81%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IEMG and EMDM.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IEMG | EMDM | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -38.71% | -18.81% | -19.90% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -13.21% | -15.65% | +2.44% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -35.93% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -38.71% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -10.08% | -11.42% | +1.34% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -13.11% | -4.16% | -8.95% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.41% | 3.71% | -0.30% |
Volatility
IEMG vs. EMDM - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) is 10.48%, while First Trust Bloomberg Emerging Market Democracies ETF (EMDM) has a volatility of 13.46%. This indicates that IEMG experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than EMDM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| IEMG | EMDM | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 10.48% | 13.46% | -2.98% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 14.67% | 18.35% | -3.68% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 19.78% | 23.54% | -3.76% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 17.91% | 18.98% | -1.07% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 19.84% | 18.98% | +0.86% |