ETF comparison

Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets vs iShares MSCI

Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF 1D
IE000GWA2J58Xtrackers
iShares MSCI EM UCITS ETF USD (Acc)
IE00B4L5YC18iShares
Figures as of October 22, 2026 (Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets) · October 23, 2026 (iShares MSCI)

The comparison in short

Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets (Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF 1D, IE000GWA2J58) and iShares MSCI (iShares MSCI EM UCITS ETF USD (Acc), IE00B4L5YC18) both track the MSCI Emerging Markets index. Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets and iShares MSCI have the same total expense ratio (TER), 0.18% a year. Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets is the larger fund, with USD 14.0bn in assets against USD 9.9bn for iShares MSCI. 8 of the largest holdings of Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets (top 10) and iShares MSCI (top 10) appear in both lists; measured on those positions only, the overlap is at least 34.7%. Shared holdings include TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING, SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS LTD, SK HYNIX, TENCENT HOLDINGS and ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING. In 2025, Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets returned +33.7% and iShares MSCI +33.8%, a gap of 0.1 percentage points. Over 3 years, Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets returned +22.1% a year and iShares MSCI +22.5% a year. iShares MSCI reinvests its income (accumulating), while Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets pays it out (distributing). Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets and iShares MSCI both hold the index securities directly (physical replication). Both are domiciled in Ireland. Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets and iShares MSCI both carry a risk indicator (SRRI) of 4 on the 1–7 scale. This is a factual comparison from the fund houses' documents, not investment advice.

Side by side

FigureXtrackers MSCI Emerging MarketsiShares MSCI
ISINIE000GWA2J58IE00B4L5YC18
Fund houseXtrackersiShares
Total expense ratio (TER)0.18%0.18%
Ongoing charges (KID)0.18%0.18%
Fund sizeUSD 14.0bnUSD 9.9bn
Launch dateNovember 3, 2021September 25, 2009
ReplicationPhysicalPhysical
DomicileIrelandIreland
Distribution policyDistributingAccumulating
Share class currencyUSDUSD
Number of holdings—785
Risk indicator (SRRI)4 / 74 / 7
SFDR classification—Article 6
BenchmarkMSCI Total Return Net Emerging Markets IndexMSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net)

Performance

Calendar-year returns

YearXtrackers MSCI Emerging MarketsiShares MSCIDifference
2025+33.7%+33.8%−0.1
2024+7.5%+7.6%−0.1
2023+9.5%+9.7%−0.2
2022−20.2%−20.1%−0.1

Annualised returns

PeriodXtrackers MSCI Emerging MarketsiShares MSCIDifference
1 year+16.4%+16.5%−0.1
3 years+22.1%+22.5%−0.4
Returns as published by each fund house, in each share class's currency and net of the fund's charges. The difference is in percentage points. Past performance does not predict future returns.

Holdings

8 of the largest holdings of Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets (top 10) and iShares MSCI (top 10) appear in both lists; measured on those positions only, the overlap is at least 34.7%. Shared holdings include TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING, SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS LTD, SK HYNIX, TENCENT HOLDINGS and ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING.

Top 10 holdings of Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets

#HoldingWeight
1
TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURINGIn both
15.79%
2
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS LTDIn both
6.64%
3
SK HYNIXIn both
4.47%
4
TENCENT HOLDINGSIn both
2.63%
5
ALIBABA GROUP HOLDINGIn both
1.83%
6
MEDIATEKIn both
1.56%
7
CHINA CONSTRUCTION BANK CORP HIn both
0.92%
8
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS NON VOTING PREIn both
0.89%
9
DELTA ELECTRONICS
0.82%
10
HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY
0.81%

Top 10 holdings of iShares MSCI

#HoldingWeight
1
TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURINGIn both
15.75%
2
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS LTDIn both
6.65%
3
SK HYNIXIn both
4.66%
4
ISH MSCI CHINA A ETF USD ACC
3.37%
5
TENCENT HOLDINGSIn both
2.64%
6
ISHARES MSCI BRAZIL UCITS ET USDHA
2.41%
7
ALIBABA GROUP HOLDINGIn both
1.83%
8
MEDIATEKIn both
1.57%
9
CHINA CONSTRUCTION BANK CORP HIn both
0.92%
10
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS NON VOTING PREIn both
0.88%
Compare the largest holdings of Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets and iShares MSCI in the overlap checker

Sectors and countries

Largest sectors of Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets

  1. Information Technology45.0%
  2. Financials18.7%
  3. Consumer Discretionary7.3%
  4. Industrials6.7%
  5. Communication Services5.9%

Largest sectors of iShares MSCI

  1. Information Technology40.1%
  2. Financials24.6%
  3. Consumer Discretionary7.4%
  4. Communication5.9%
  5. Industrials5.4%
  6. Materials5.2%
+ 4 more

Largest countries of Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets

  1. Taiwan26.6%
  2. Korea, Republic of24.2%
  3. China18.5%
  4. India11.3%
  5. Brazil3.8%

Largest countries of iShares MSCI

  1. Taiwan28.9%
  2. Korea (South)18.7%
  3. China16.4%
  4. India11.4%
  5. Other6.1%
  6. Ireland3.4%
+ 4 more

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets and iShares MSCI?

Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets (Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF 1D, IE000GWA2J58) and iShares MSCI (iShares MSCI EM UCITS ETF USD (Acc), IE00B4L5YC18) both track the MSCI Emerging Markets index. Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets and iShares MSCI have the same total expense ratio (TER), 0.18% a year. iShares MSCI reinvests its income (accumulating), while Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets pays it out (distributing). Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets and iShares MSCI both hold the index securities directly (physical replication). Both are domiciled in Ireland. This is a factual comparison from the fund houses' documents, not investment advice.

Which is cheaper, Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets or iShares MSCI?

Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets and iShares MSCI have the same total expense ratio (TER), 0.18% a year. Their key information documents state ongoing charges of 0.18% for Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets and 0.18% for iShares MSCI.

Which is bigger, Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets or iShares MSCI?

Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets is the larger fund, with USD 14.0bn in assets against USD 9.9bn for iShares MSCI.

Do Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets and iShares MSCI hold the same companies?

8 of the largest holdings of Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets (top 10) and iShares MSCI (top 10) appear in both lists; measured on those positions only, the overlap is at least 34.7%. Shared holdings include TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING, SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS LTD, SK HYNIX, TENCENT HOLDINGS and ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING.

How did Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets and iShares MSCI perform in 2025?

In 2025, Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets returned +33.7% and iShares MSCI +33.8%, a gap of 0.1 percentage points. Over 3 years, Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets returned +22.1% a year and iShares MSCI +22.5% a year. Over the past year, Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets returned +16.4% and iShares MSCI +16.5%. Past performance does not predict future returns.

Are Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets and iShares MSCI accumulating or distributing?

Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets is distributing: it pays its income out to investors. iShares MSCI is accumulating: it reinvests its income in the fund.

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Figures are read from the documents each fund house publishes (product page, factsheet, key information document, holdings file) and refreshed weekly. Names and tickers identify the products; FundFacts API is independent of every fund house and index provider. This comparison is factual information, not investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell either fund.