iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Quality Factor ETF

The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Quality Factor ETF (EQLT) tracks the MSCI Emerging Markets Quality Factor Select Index, which favors large and mid-sized emerging-market stocks with high profitability, steady earnings growth and low debt. It may suit investors wanting emerging-market stocks tilted toward profitable companies, but its 0.35% annual fee is above the 0.23% average of similar funds. With $12.6 million in net assets as of August 31, 2026, it is the group's smallest.

• Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, EQLT returned +16.4%, 3rd of 8 among similar funds.
• Its worst full calendar year was 2025 (+33.9%); its best was 2025 (+33.9%).
• The deepest fall in its price history was 17.4% (Oct 2, 2024 to Apr 8, 2025), recovered by Jun 9, 2025.

As of Aug 31, 2026, the fund held 316 securities; the ten largest made up 34.92% of assets.

• Over the three months to Aug 31, 2026, investors added a net $0.00 (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
• Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: -2.90%, -3.17%, +5.85%.

EQLT tracks the MSCI Emerging Markets Quality Factor Select Index. MSCI builds it from the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, which weights stocks by market capitalization (the total value of a company's shares). Each company gets a quality score from three measures: high return on equity (profit relative to shareholders' money), stable earnings growth and low financial leverage (little debt). Companies are ranked against sector peers, and the top scorers are added until they cover about 50% of each country's market value.

Each chosen stock's parent-index weight is multiplied by a "tilt score" based on its quality ranking and relative size, then rescaled so weights total 100%. No single company can exceed 5%, and country and sector weights stay within limits relative to the parent index. The index is rebalanced twice a year. As of August 31, 2026, the fund had 316 holdings; the 10 largest made up 34.9% of assets, led by SK hynix (4.9%), Lenovo Group (4.6%) and ASPEED Technology (4.4%).

BlackRock uses representative sampling: the fund holds stocks that together resemble the index, so it may not own every member. At least 80% of assets go into index stocks or near-identical equivalents; up to 20% can be in futures, options, swaps, cash or other securities. It may also lend out securities worth up to one-third of total assets.

• EQLT charges 0.35% a year, versus an average of 0.23% for the similar funds below (7th of 8, cheapest first).
• Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $36 in the first year and $443 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).

EQLT is a small, quality-screened emerging-markets fund with about two years of history and volatility (a measure of how much returns swing) of 23.9% over the year to October 27, 2026, so it fits a supporting role better than a central one.

EQLT could add emerging-market stocks tilted toward profitable, low-debt companies to a broader portfolio. It launched on September 4, 2024, so it has no record from the 2008, 2020 or 2022 downturns, and its only full calendar year, 2025, gained 33.9%. Its deepest drop, 17.4% from October 2, 2024 to April 8, 2025, was recovered by June 9, 2025. It also fell 9.9% in the month to October 27, 2026, so withdrawals during a slump could mean cashing in shares at a loss.

Its trailing 12-month dividend yield was 3.01% as of October 27, 2026, with payments made quarterly. The 0.35% annual fee is above IEMG's 0.09% and VWO's 0.07%; on $10,000 earning 5% a year, the SEC's standard example puts costs at $36 after one year and $443 after 10 years. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should weigh the whole portfolio, not one fund.

Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.