IEMG vs VEA: 12% overlap

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF share 11.5% of their portfolios by weight — computed as Σ min(wA, wB) over every holding both funds own.

Hold both, 50/50
1.9Effective Funds

You would hold two tickers and get the diversification of 1.9. Two funds that shared nothing would score 2.0; two identical funds score 1.0.

Overlap
11.5%
IEMG expense ratio
0.09%
VEA expense ratio
0.03%

Top shared holdings

IEMG and VEA hold 470 of the same securities. The ten contributing most to the overlap figure:

Holdingin IEMGin VEAΔ
0059306.3%3.1%3.2%
0006605.3%3.0%2.3%
CASH0.4%1.4%1.0%
0059350.8%0.3%0.4%
4023400.6%0.3%0.3%
0091500.4%0.2%0.2%
0053800.3%0.1%0.2%
1055600.3%0.1%0.2%
0555500.2%0.1%0.1%
0340200.2%0.1%0.1%

Where IEMG and VEA 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.

SectorIEMGVEAΔ
Information Technology39.8%17.1%+22.7pp
Industrials7.7%16.9%9.1pp
Unclassified0.0%8.9%8.9pp
Health Care3.1%6.2%3.1pp
Communication Services5.4%2.5%+3.0pp
Consumer Staples3.0%5.6%2.6pp
Financials18.1%20.7%2.6pp
Utilities2.0%3.3%1.3pp

Δ is IEMG minus VEA, 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
2,319 positions

73.0% of IEMG by weight, held in no part of VEA.

Only in VEA
3,322 positions

85.2% of VEA 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

IEMGVEA
Top 10 holdings33.6%15.2%
Positions held2,7903,792
Cost per $10,000 held, per year$9$3

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 VEA overlap?

IEMG and VEA overlap 11.5% by portfolio weight — largely distinct portfolios. They share 470 holdings. The figure comes from current issuer holdings files (IEMG as of 2026-07-23, VEA as of 2026-06-30).

How is the overlap between IEMG and VEA 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 VEA 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 VEA?

That depends on your goals — we state facts, not advice. At 11.5% overlap, each fund still contributes meaningfully distinct exposure.

What does IEMG own that VEA doesn't?

IEMG holds 2,790 positions and VEA holds 3,792; 2,319 of IEMG's positions don't appear in VEA at all, and they are 73.0% of IEMG by weight.

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Sources: issuer holdings files, IEMG as of 2026-07-23, VEA as of 2026-06-30. Weights are fractions of each fund. Diagnostics, not advice.