IEMG vs VBIAX: 0% overlap

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and Vanguard Balanced Index Admiral share 0.4% 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 — VBIAX 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.

Hold both, 50/50
2.0Effective Funds

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.

Overlap
0.4%
IEMG expense ratio
0.09%
VBIAX expense ratio
0.07%

Top shared holdings

IEMG and VBIAX hold 8 of the same securities. The ten contributing most to the overlap figure:

Holdingin IEMGin VBIAXΔ
CASH0.4%1.8%1.4%
TEL0.0%0.1%0.0%
VAL0.1%0.0%0.1%
HCC0.0%0.0%0.0%
OSK0.0%0.0%0.0%
ACI0.0%0.0%0.0%
PLUS0.0%0.0%0.0%
ALRS0.0%0.0%0.0%

Where IEMG and VBIAX 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.

SectorIEMGVBIAXΔ
Unclassified0.0%55.1%55.1pp
Information Technology39.8%1.0%+38.9pp
Treasuries0.0%19.1%19.1pp
Financials18.1%3.6%+14.5pp
MBS Pass-Through0.0%8.1%8.1pp
Consumer Discretionary8.5%0.5%+8.0pp
Industrials7.7%0.7%+7.0pp
Corporate — industrial & other0.0%5.8%5.8pp

Δ is IEMG minus VBIAX, 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

Only in IEMG
2,781 positions

98.7% of IEMG by weight, held in no part of VBIAX.

Only in VBIAX
5,110 positions

99.0% of VBIAX by weight, held in no part of IEMG.

A large count with a small weight is the usual shape: the positions one fund adds are typically its smallest ones.

Concentration and cost

IEMGVBIAX
Top 10 holdings33.6%45.2%
Positions held2,7905,119
Cost per $10,000 held, per year$9$7

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 IEMG and VBIAX overlap?

IEMG and VBIAX overlap 0.4% by portfolio weight — largely distinct portfolios. They share 8 holdings. The figure comes from current issuer holdings files (IEMG as of 2026-07-23, VBIAX as of 2026-03-31).

How is the overlap between IEMG and VBIAX calculated?

As the sum of the smaller weight in each fund, over every holding both funds own: Σ min(wA, wB). If IEMG holds a stock at 6% and VBIAX 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 IEMG and VBIAX?

That depends on your goals — we state facts, not advice. At 0.4% overlap, each fund still contributes meaningfully distinct exposure.

What does IEMG own that VBIAX doesn't?

IEMG holds 2,790 positions and VBIAX holds 5,119; 2,781 of IEMG's positions don't appear in VBIAX at all, and they are 98.7% of IEMG by weight.

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Related comparisons

Sources: issuer holdings files, IEMG as of 2026-07-23, VBIAX as of 2026-03-31. Weights are fractions of each fund. Diagnostics, not advice.