ETF Versus

IEMG vs QQQ

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF vs Invesco QQQ Trust

Last updated: 2026-04-02

IEMG iShares

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to stocks in emerging market economies with higher growth potential. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.09%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.63%. Launched in 2012, the fund has a 14-year track record.

AUM: $132.2B ER: 0.09% Yield: 2.63% Since: Oct 18, 2012
QQQ Invesco

Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Invesco that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.18%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.48%. Launched in 1999, the fund has a 27-year track record.

AUM: $363.1B ER: 0.18% Yield: 0.48% Since: Mar 10, 1999

Quick Verdict

IEMG has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.09% vs 0.18%), saving about $178 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, IEMG has significantly outperformed with a 29.6% return vs 23.6%. Income investors may prefer IEMG for its higher yield (2.6% vs 0.5%).

Key Metrics

Metric IEMG QQQ
Expense Ratio 0.09% 0.18%
Dividend Yield 2.6% 0.5%
Fund Family iShares Invesco
Category Emerging Markets US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

65 91 117 143 169 195 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IEMG +7.7%
QQQ +76.5%

Performance Comparison

Period IEMG QQQ Difference
1 Month -6.83% -3.91% -2.92%
3 Months +1.86% -4.70% +6.56%
6 Months +5.01% -3.13% +8.14%
YTD +1.86% -4.70% +6.56%
1 Year +29.64% +23.61% +6.03%
3 Years +43.63% +82.51% -38.88%
5 Years +7.71% +76.50% -68.79%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IEMG Fees QQQ Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $179 $357 $178
$10.000 20 years $771 $1.529 $759
$10.000 30 years $2.486 $4.912 $2.426
$50.000 10 years $896 $1.786 $889
$50.000 30 years $12.428 $24.558 $12.131
$100.000 30 years $24.855 $49.116 $24.261

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IEMG QQQ
Annualized Volatility 18.1% 22.4%
Max Drawdown -38.5% -35.6%
Sharpe Ratio -0.08 0.42

Dividend Comparison

Metric IEMG QQQ
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.85 $2.81
Dividend Yield 2.63% 0.48%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Quarterly

Top Holdings

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

IEMG Top Holdings

NameWeight
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited!tpe/233011.60%
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!krx/0059304.66%
Tencent Holdings Limited!hkg/07003.32%
SK hynix Inc.!krx/0006602.75%
Alibaba Group Holding Limited!hkg/99882.22%
China Construction Bank Corporation!hkg/09390.82%
Delta Electronics, Inc.!tpe/23080.76%
HDFC Bank Limited!nse/HDFCBANK0.75%
Reliance Industries Limited!nse/RELIANCE0.71%
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.!tpe/23170.65%

QQQ Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA8.55%
Apple Inc.AAPL7.67%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT5.56%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN4.49%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA3.79%
Walmart Inc.WMT3.48%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META3.26%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG3.13%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO2.99%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IEMG if...

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

Choose IEMG if...

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

Choose IEMG if...

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

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