iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) is a BlackRock index fund tracking the MSCI Emerging Markets Investable Market Index, which covers large, mid-size and small companies in markets such as Taiwan, South Korea, India and China. A key draw is cost: 0.09% a year, well below the 0.27% average for similar funds and iShares' EEM at 0.72%. Expect concentration: Taiwan and South Korea were nearly half of assets as of August 31, 2026.

• Over the year to Nov 2, 2026, IEMG returned +11.7%, 6th of 9 among similar funds.
• Its 5-year annualized return was +6.7% and its 10-year +8.2%.
• In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 31.7% and regained its old high 4.4 months after the low.
• Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-20.0%); its best was 2017 (+37.4%).
• The deepest fall in its price history was 38.7% (Jan 26, 2018 to Mar 23, 2020), recovered by Nov 16, 2020.

As of Aug 31, 2026, the fund held 2,933 securities; the ten largest made up 32.68% of assets. It also reported 5.25% in a money-market fund, most likely cash collateral from lending out shares rather than uninvested money.

• Over the three months to Aug 31, 2026, investors added a net $2.07B (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
• Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +0.21%, -6.13%, +4.93%.

IEMG tracks the MSCI Emerging Markets Investable Market Index (IMI), which covers large, mid-size and small companies. As of August 31, 2025, the index held 3,129 stocks from 24 countries or regions, including Taiwan, South Korea, India, China, Brazil and Saudi Arabia. MSCI, which is independent of the fund, picks the stocks and sets their weights. BlackRock aims to match the index, not beat it, and does not retreat to cash when markets fall.

Rather than buy every stock, BlackRock uses "representative sampling": it holds a subset whose company sizes, industry mix, yield and price swings resemble the index's. As of August 31, 2026, the fund had 2,933 holdings. It generally keeps at least 80% of assets in index stocks or depositary receipts (certificates representing foreign shares). It may put up to 20% in contracts such as futures, options and swaps, plus cash and non-index securities that help it track the index.

MSCI's weighting makes the fund top-heavy. On that date, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing was 13.2% of assets, Samsung Electronics 6.3% and SK hynix 4.8%; the top 10 totaled 32.7%. The fund may lend out securities worth up to a third of its assets for fees, and its 5.25% cash position was likely collateral from that lending. Portfolio turnover, the share of holdings replaced in a year, was a low 6%.

• IEMG charges 0.09% a year, versus an average of 0.27% for the similar funds below (3rd of 9, cheapest first).
• Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $9 in the first year and $115 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).

It adds low-cost exposure to thousands of companies in Taiwan, South Korea, India, China and other emerging markets that a US-focused portfolio may lack.

IEMG can extend a portfolio beyond developed markets, but the trade-off is steep falls. It launched in October 2012, so it missed the 2008 crisis. In the 2020 crash it fell 31.7% (February 19 to March 23, 2020) and regained its high by August 4, 2020. The 30.4% drop in 2022 took longer to heal; it did not regain its high until September 26, 2024. Its worst calendar year was 2022 (-19.9%); its deepest decline, 38.7%, ran from January 2018 to March 2020. Anyone drawing income in such a stretch would be cashing out at low prices.

Income is modest and arrives twice a year: the trailing 12-month yield was 2.36% as of October 27, 2026. Costs are low: $115 over 10 years on $10,000 in the SEC's standard example. Past results don't predict future ones, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.

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