ETF Versus

EEM vs EWZ

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF vs iShares MSCI Brazil ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

EEM iShares

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to stocks in emerging market economies with higher growth potential. It charges a high expense ratio of 0.72%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 2.12%. Launched in 2003, the fund has a 23-year track record.

AUM: $24.5B ER: 0.72% Yield: 2.12% Since: Apr 7, 2003
EWZ

iShares MSCI Brazil ETF (EWZ) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to brazil equity securities. It charges a high expense ratio of 0.59%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.30%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $9.3B ER: 0.59% Yield: 4.30% Since: Jul 10, 2000

Quick Verdict

EWZ is significantly cheaper at 0.59% vs 0.72% expense ratio, saving you approximately $246 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, EWZ has significantly outperformed with a 46.8% return vs 30.5%. Income investors may prefer EWZ for its higher yield (4.3% vs 2.1%).

Key Metrics

Metric EEM EWZ
Expense Ratio 0.72% 0.59%
Dividend Yield 2.1% 4.3%
Fund Family iShares N/A
Category Emerging Markets Brazil Equity

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

60 73 86 99 112 125 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
EEM +5.8%
EWZ +14.3%

Performance Comparison

Period EEM EWZ Difference
1 Month -6.94% -0.70% -6.24%
3 Months +1.76% +19.16% -17.40%
6 Months +5.53% +26.51% -20.98%
YTD +1.76% +19.16% -17.40%
1 Year +30.54% +46.79% -16.25%
3 Years +44.74% +40.60% +4.14%
5 Years +5.84% +14.26% -8.42%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period EEM Fees EWZ Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $1.397 $1.151 $246
$10.000 20 years $5.836 $4.837 $1.000
$10.000 30 years $18.296 $15.249 $3.046
$50.000 10 years $6.984 $5.754 $1.230
$50.000 30 years $91.478 $76.247 $15.231
$100.000 30 years $182.957 $152.494 $30.462

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric EEM EWZ
Annualized Volatility 18.6% 28.5%
Max Drawdown -39.5% -46.6%
Sharpe Ratio -0.09 0.08

Dividend Comparison

Metric EEM EWZ
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.22 $1.65
Dividend Yield 2.12% 4.30%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 9 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

EEM Top Holdings

NameWeight
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited!tpe/233013.38%
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!krx/0059305.37%
Tencent Holdings Limited!hkg/07003.82%
SK hynix Inc.!krx/0006603.17%
Alibaba Group Holding Limited!hkg/99882.55%
China Construction Bank Corporation!hkg/09390.95%
Delta Electronics, Inc.!tpe/23080.88%
HDFC Bank Limited!nse/HDFCBANK0.87%
Reliance Industries Limited!nse/RELIANCE0.82%
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.!tpe/23170.75%

EWZ Top Holdings

NameWeight
Vale S.A.!bvmf/VALE310.33%
Nu Holdings Ltd.NU8.81%
Itaú Unibanco Holding S.A.!bvmf/ITUB48.27%
Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras!bvmf/PETR37.33%
B3 S.A. - Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão!bvmf/B3SA33.51%
Banco Bradesco S.A.!bvmf/BBDC43.28%
WEG S.A.!bvmf/WEGE33.09%
Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo - SABESP!bvmf/SBSP32.91%
Ambev S.A.!bvmf/ABEV32.72%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose EWZ if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose EWZ if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose EWZ if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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