ETF Versus

IEMG vs QQQM

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF vs Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-15

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 a moderate dividend yield of 2.42%. Launched in 2012, the fund has a 14-year track record.

AUM: $144.5B ER: 0.09% Yield: 2.42% Since: Oct 18, 2012
QQQM Invesco

Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF (QQQM) 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 low expense ratio of 0.15%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.49%. Launched in 2020, the fund has a 6-year track record.

AUM: $74.7B ER: 0.15% Yield: 0.49% Since: Oct 13, 2020

Quick Verdict

IEMG has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.09% vs 0.15%), saving about $119 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, IEMG has significantly outperformed with a 46.5% return vs 37.2%. Income investors may prefer IEMG for its higher yield (2.4% vs 0.5%).

Key Metrics

Metric IEMG QQQM
Expense Ratio 0.09% 0.15%
Dividend Yield 2.4% 0.5%
Fund Family iShares Invesco
Category Emerging Markets US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

60 86 112 138 164 190 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
IEMG +16.5%
QQQM +84.4%

Performance Comparison

Period IEMG QQQM Difference
1 Month +6.55% +4.70% +1.85%
3 Months +7.19% +1.09% +6.10%
6 Months +14.02% +4.09% +9.93%
YTD +10.58% +2.51% +8.07%
1 Year +46.45% +37.23% +9.22%
3 Years +54.14% +97.33% -43.19%
5 Years +16.15% +84.07% -67.92%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IEMG Fees QQQM Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $179 $298 $119
$10,000 20 years $771 $1,278 $507
$10,000 30 years $2,486 $4,109 $1,624
$50,000 10 years $896 $1,490 $594
$50,000 30 years $12,428 $20,547 $8,120
$100,000 30 years $24,855 $41,094 $16,239

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IEMG QQQM
Annualized Volatility 18.3% 22.3%
Max Drawdown -38.5% -35.6%
Sharpe Ratio 0.01 0.46

Dividend Comparison

Metric IEMG QQQM
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.85 $1.27
Dividend Yield 2.42% 0.49%
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/233011.91%
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!krx/0059304.95%
Tencent Holdings Limited!hkg/07003.09%
SK hynix Inc.!krx/0006602.95%
Alibaba Group Holding Limited!hkg/99882.09%
Delta Electronics, Inc.!tpe/23080.82%
China Construction Bank Corporation!hkg/09390.80%
HDFC Bank Limited!nse/HDFCBANK0.75%
Reliance Industries Limited!nse/RELIANCE0.66%
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.!tpe/23170.61%

QQQM Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA8.85%
Apple Inc.AAPL7.39%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT5.32%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN4.94%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META3.59%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO3.40%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA3.36%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG3.32%
Walmart Inc.WMT3.30%

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.

Related Comparisons