ABALX vs IEMG: 2% overlap
American Funds American Balanced A and iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF share 1.6% of their portfolios by weight — computed as Σ min(wA, wB) over every holding both funds own.
Different holding dates. These holdings were published about 4 months apart — ABALX as of 2026-03-31, the rest through 2026-07-23. Each fund is compared using its most recent file, so any trading in between shows up as a difference.
You would hold two tickers and get the diversification of 2.0. Two funds that shared nothing would score 2.0; two identical funds score 1.0.
Top shared holdings
ABALX and IEMG hold 10 of the same securities. The ten contributing most to the overlap figure:
| Holding | in ABALX | in IEMG | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 000660 | 0.7% | 5.3% | 4.6% |
| 2330 | 0.4% | 13.4% | 13.0% |
| BAP | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| GMEXICOB | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| MTN | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| SCCO | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| MOH | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| TEL | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| SRE | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| CASH | 0.0% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
Where ABALX and IEMG differ
Sector weights as a share of each fund, ordered by the size of the gap rather than the size of the sector — two funds that overlap heavily still usually diverge somewhere.
| Sector | ABALX | IEMG | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Technology | 16.0% | 39.8% | −23.8pp |
| Unclassified | 22.7% | 0.0% | +22.7pp |
| Treasuries | 12.3% | 0.0% | +12.3pp |
| Financials | 8.9% | 18.1% | −9.2pp |
| Materials | 1.9% | 5.8% | −3.9pp |
| Consumer Discretionary | 4.7% | 8.5% | −3.8pp |
| Health Care | 6.7% | 3.1% | +3.6pp |
| Corporate — industrial & other | 3.6% | 0.0% | +3.6pp |
Δ is ABALX minus IEMG, in percentage points. Sector data is not published by every issuer, so “Unclassified” is a real category rather than a gap in the table.
What each fund holds alone
98.9% of ABALX by weight, held in no part of IEMG.
79.4% of IEMG by weight, held in no part of ABALX.
A large count with a small weight is the usual shape: the positions one fund adds are typically its smallest ones.
Concentration and cost
| ABALX | IEMG | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 10 holdings | 36.3% | 33.6% |
| Positions held | 1,439 | 2,790 |
| Cost per $10,000 held, per year | $56 | $9 |
Cost is the expense ratio applied to $10,000; it excludes any brokerage commission, bid-ask spread or tax consequence. Figures are facts about the funds, not a suggestion about which to hold.
Frequently asked
How much do ABALX and IEMG overlap?
ABALX and IEMG overlap 1.6% by portfolio weight — largely distinct portfolios. They share 10 holdings. The figure comes from current issuer holdings files (ABALX as of 2026-03-31, IEMG as of 2026-07-23).
How is the overlap between ABALX and IEMG calculated?
As the sum of the smaller weight in each fund, over every holding both funds own: Σ min(wA, wB). If ABALX holds a stock at 6% and IEMG holds the same stock at 4%, 4% counts as shared. The result is bounded between 0% and 100%, and it is computed after looking through any fund-of-funds to the underlying holdings.
Is it redundant to hold both ABALX and IEMG?
That depends on your goals — we state facts, not advice. At 1.6% overlap, each fund still contributes meaningfully distinct exposure.
What does ABALX own that IEMG doesn't?
ABALX holds 1,439 positions and IEMG holds 2,790; 1,428 of ABALX's positions don't appear in IEMG at all, and they are 98.9% of ABALX by weight.
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Related comparisons
Sources: issuer holdings files, ABALX as of 2026-03-31, IEMG as of 2026-07-23. Weights are fractions of each fund. Diagnostics, not advice.