At a glance
ECH charges 0.59% a year. It has $1.04B in assets; it paid 2.14% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, semiannual. Over the past year it returned +7.1% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%); over three years it returned +17.3% a year. At its worst it fell 41.0% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 25.2% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 9 months and 6 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 68.8% of the fund, out of 26 in all.
The short version
iShares MSCI Chile ETF (ECH) is a BlackRock index fund that tracks the MSCI Chile IMI 25/50 Index, which covers large, mid-size and small Chilean companies. It is highly concentrated. As of August 31, 2026, it held 26 stocks, and the top 10 made up about 69% of assets, led by Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile at 15%. It charges 0.59% a year. Its price has swung sharply, including a 65.4% gain in 2025.
Price history
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ECH +7.1% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ECH official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2024 | — | -7.63% | — | -1.32% | -1.58% | — |
| MSCI Emerging Markets Index index, same period | — | +7.50% | — | +1.70% | +3.64% | — |
| MSCI Chile IMI2550Index index, same period | — | -8.21% | — | -1.38% | -1.57% | — |
| ECH price data to Oct 27, 2026 | -8.6% | +7.1% | +17.3% | +12.7% | +2.2% | +1.0% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, ECH returned +7.1%.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +12.7% and its 10-year +2.2%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 41% and regained its old high 9 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2008 (-37.7%); its best was 2009 (+86.1%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 74.1% (Jan 3, 2011 to Mar 18, 2020), not yet recovered.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | -8.6% | — |
| 2025 | +65.4% | — |
| 2024 | -8.6% | -7.63% |
| 2023 | +9.0% | +9.24% |
| 2022 | +25.2% | +24.02% |
| 2021 | -19.7% | -19.34% |
| 2020 | -7.1% | -7.32% |
| 2019 | -17.8% | -18.10% |
| 2018 | -19.0% | -19.14% |
| 2017 | +41.8% | +42.59% |
| 2016 | +19.5% | +17.79% |
| 2015 | -18.5% | -18.05% |
| 2014 | -14.7% | — |
| 2013 | -23.9% | — |
| 2012 | +11.3% | — |
| 2011 | -26.5% | — |
| 2010 | +46.6% | — |
| 2009 | +86.1% | — |
| 2008 | -37.7% | — |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 40% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 41%, back to its old high 9 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Gained 5.4% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 25.2%, back to its old high 6.4 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.6400 | |
| 2025 | $0.8100 | +3.8% |
| 2024 | $0.7800 | -42.2% |
| 2023 | $1.3500 | -25.8% |
| 2022 | $1.8200 | +43.3% |
| 2021 | $1.2700 | +92.4% |
| 2020 | $0.6600 | -19.5% |
| 2019 | $0.8200 | -16.3% |
| 2018 | $0.9800 | +32.4% |
| 2017 | $0.7400 | +7.2% |
| 2016 | $0.6900 | +3.0% |
| 2015 | $0.6700 | -4.3% |
| 2014 | $0.7000 | +2.9% |
| 2013 | $0.6800 | -29.9% |
| 2012 | $0.9700 | -4.9% |
| 2011 | $1.0200 | +88.9% |
| 2010 | $0.5400 | -10.0% |
| 2009 | $0.6000 | -6.3% |
| 2008 | $0.6400 |
What's inside
As of Aug 31, 2026, the fund held 26 securities; the ten largest made up 68.83% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. | 15.18% | |
| Banco de Chile | 11.78% | |
| LATAM Airlines Group S.A. | 10.59% | |
| Banco Santander-Chile | 4.92% | |
| FALABELLA S.A. | 4.90% | |
| Banco de Credito e Inversiones | 4.61% | |
| Parque Arauco S.A. | 4.43% | |
| Empresas Copec S.A. | 4.32% | |
| Enel Chile S.A. | 4.15% | |
| Cencosud S.A. | 3.94% | |
| Embotelladora Andina S.A. | 3.61% | |
| Plaza S.A. | 3.05% | |
| Colbun S.A. | 2.63% | |
| Empresas CMPC S.A. | 2.51% | |
| Inversiones La Construccion S.A. | 2.43% |
By country
Chile 99.82%By asset type
Stocks 99.78%Other 0.04%What changed recently
- Over the three months to Aug 31, 2026, investors added a net $18.7M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: -3.53%, -0.58%, +2.55%.
How it works
ECH tries to match the MSCI Chile IMI 25/50 Index before fees. MSCI, which is independent of BlackRock, picks the stocks and sets their weights. The index weights companies by free-float market value, meaning only the shares available to public investors count. A cap holds any single "group entity" (companies MSCI judges to be under common control) to 25% of the index. All group entities above 5% are limited to 50% combined. The index rebalances quarterly. Each time, it uses an optimization that keeps weights as close as possible to the uncapped MSCI Chile Index.
BlackRock Fund Advisors uses representative sampling. The fund may hold a group of index stocks that together resemble the index, not every stock in it. At least 80% of assets go into index stocks or depositary receipts. Up to 20% can go into futures, options, swaps, cash and stocks outside the index. As of August 31, 2026, stocks made up 99.8% of the portfolio, cash 0.21%, plus a tiny MSCI Emerging Markets futures position. The prospectus reports portfolio turnover of 45%.
One mechanical point matters for taxable accounts. The fund expects to handle creations and redemptions in cash rather than in-kind securities. That can force it to sell holdings and realize capital gains, which may reach shareholders as taxable distributions.
What it really costs
- ECH charges 0.59% a year.
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $60 in the first year and $738 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ECH | $60 | $189 | $329 | $738 |
In a retirement portfolio
It holds 26 stocks from one commodity-dependent country and has suffered deep, long-lasting losses.
ECH adds a focused bet on Chile, but its history shows deep losses. Its worst calendar year was 2008, a 37.7% decline. In 2020 it fell 41% between February 19 and March 18 and took about nine months to recover. Across the 2022 bear market (January 3 to October 12) it gained 5.4%, though it had its own 25.2% slide that took about six months to recover. Its deepest drop, 74.1% from January 2011 to March 2020, had not been fully recovered as of October 27, 2026. A holder who has to sell in a bad year could lock in a large loss. The trailing yield was 2.14% as of October 27, 2026, paid twice a year. The 0.59% expense ratio comes to $60 on $10,000 in year one under the SEC example. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors who want a deliberate, small position in Chile, with 99.8% of assets in Chilean stocks as of August 31, 2026.
- Those who can stomach big swings, such as a 34.8% drop in the first quarter of 2020 and a 65.4% price gain in 2025.
- Long-term holders who accept a 0.59% expense ratio, or $738 in costs over 10 years on $10,000 under the SEC example.
Look elsewhere if
- Investors wanting broad diversification: the fund held 26 stocks from one country, and its top 10 were about 69% of assets.
- Anyone who may need to sell in a downturn: its 74.1% drop from 2011 to 2020 had not been recovered by October 27, 2026.
- Retirees seeking steady, frequent income: payouts come only twice a year, and the trailing yield was 2.14% as of October 27, 2026.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
No close alternatives found.
Questions investors ask
Does ECH pay dividends?
Yes. ECH pays distributions twice a year. In the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid about $0.78 per share, a trailing yield of 2.14%. The money comes from dividends paid by the Chilean companies it owns, less fund expenses. Payouts can change a lot from one period to the next. They depend on what those companies pay and on how Chile's currency moves against the US dollar.
What are ECH's top holdings?
As of August 31, 2026, the largest holding was Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile at about 15.2% of assets. Next came Banco de Chile at 11.8% and LATAM Airlines Group at 10.6%. Banco Santander-Chile, Falabella, Banco de Credito e Inversiones, Parque Arauco, Empresas Copec, Enel Chile and Cencosud followed, at roughly 4% to 5% each. Together, the top 10 made up about 69% of the fund.
How has ECH performed compared with emerging markets?
It has trailed over longer periods. The prospectus shows that, as of December 31, 2024, ECH averaged -1.32% a year over five years and -1.58% over 10 years. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index averaged 1.7% and 3.64% over the same periods. ECH's results also swing widely. Its price gained 65.4% in 2025 but was down 8.6% for 2026 through October 27. Its annualized 10-year price return was 2.2% as of October 27, 2026.
What is ECH's expense ratio?
ECH's expense ratio is 0.59% a year, according to its prospectus filed December 19, 2025. All of it is the management fee, and there is no fee waiver. The SEC's standard example assumes $10,000 invested, a 5% annual return and shares sold at the end of each period. On that basis, costs would be about $60 after one year, $189 after three, $329 after five and $738 after 10.
Is ECH good for retirement?
ECH may fit a retirement portfolio only as a small, higher-risk position, not a core holding. It owns only Chilean stocks and is exposed to commodity prices and currency swings. It fell 37.7% in 2008 and 41% in early 2020. Its deepest decline, 74.1% from 2011 to 2020, had not been fully recovered as of October 27, 2026. Anyone who may need to sell in a bad year risks locking in losses.