ETF Versus

IEMG vs SCHD

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF vs Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF

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
SCHD Schwab

Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Schwab that provides exposure to U.S. dividend-paying stocks selected for yield or dividend growth. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.46%. Launched in 2011, the fund has a 15-year track record.

AUM: $83.9B ER: 0.06% Yield: 3.46% Since: Oct 20, 2011

Quick Verdict

SCHD has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.06% vs 0.09%), saving about $60 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, IEMG has significantly outperformed with a 29.6% return vs 9.5%. Income investors may prefer SCHD for its higher yield (3.5% vs 2.6%).

Key Metrics

Metric IEMG SCHD
Expense Ratio 0.09% 0.06%
Dividend Yield 2.6% 3.5%
Fund Family iShares Schwab
Category Emerging Markets US Dividend

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

65 78 91 104 117 130 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IEMG +7.7%
SCHD +23.3%

Performance Comparison

Period IEMG SCHD Difference
1 Month -6.83% -4.24% -2.59%
3 Months +1.86% +10.03% -8.17%
6 Months +5.01% +11.31% -6.30%
YTD +1.86% +10.03% -8.17%
1 Year +29.64% +9.47% +20.17%
3 Years +43.63% +24.43% +19.20%
5 Years +7.71% +23.27% -15.56%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IEMG Fees SCHD Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $179 $120 $60
$10.000 20 years $771 $515 $256
$10.000 30 years $2.486 $1.664 $822
$50.000 10 years $896 $598 $298
$50.000 30 years $12.428 $8.318 $4.109
$100.000 30 years $24.855 $16.637 $8.218

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IEMG SCHD
Annualized Volatility 18.1% 14.6%
Max Drawdown -38.5% -18.9%
Sharpe Ratio -0.08 0.05

Dividend Comparison

Metric IEMG SCHD
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.85 $1.06
Dividend Yield 2.63% 3.46%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 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%

SCHD Top Holdings

NameWeight
Chevron CorporationCVX4.66%
ConocoPhillipsCOP4.33%
Merck & Co., Inc.MRK4.08%
Verizon Communications Inc.VZ4.03%
The Coca-Cola CompanyKO3.98%
Texas Instruments IncorporatedTXN3.86%
PepsiCo, Inc.PEP3.83%
Amgen Inc.AMGN3.78%
Abbott LaboratoriesABT3.78%
The Procter & Gamble CompanyPG3.70%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SCHD 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 SCHD if...

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

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