IEMG vs VFORX: 10% overlap

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and Vanguard Target Retirement 2040 share 10.1% 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 — VFORX 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
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
10.1%
IEMG expense ratio
0.09%
VFORX expense ratio
0.08%

Top shared holdings

IEMG and VFORX hold 2,500 of the same securities. The ten contributing most to the overlap figure:

Holdingin IEMGin VFORXΔ
233013.4%1.3%12.1%
0059306.3%0.7%5.6%
0006605.3%0.7%4.6%
CASH0.4%1.8%1.5%
7002.6%0.2%2.3%
99881.8%0.1%1.6%
24541.3%0.1%1.1%
23080.8%0.1%0.7%
0059350.8%0.1%0.7%
4023400.6%0.1%0.5%

Where IEMG and VFORX 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.

SectorIEMGVFORXΔ
Information Technology39.8%21.6%+18.2pp
Unclassified0.0%9.7%9.7pp
Treasuries0.0%8.7%8.7pp
Financials18.1%12.7%+5.4pp
MBS Pass-Through0.0%3.7%3.7pp
Materials5.8%2.5%+3.3pp
Corporate — industrial & other0.0%2.8%2.8pp
Health Care3.1%5.8%2.6pp

Δ is IEMG minus VFORX, 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
289 positions

3.1% of IEMG by weight, held in no part of VFORX.

Only in VFORX
14,182 positions

87.8% of VFORX 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

IEMGVFORX
Top 10 holdings33.6%23.9%
Positions held2,7906
Cost per $10,000 held, per year$9$8

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 VFORX overlap?

IEMG and VFORX overlap 10.1% by portfolio weight — largely distinct portfolios. They share 2,500 holdings. The figure comes from current issuer holdings files (IEMG as of 2026-07-23, VFORX as of 2026-03-31).

How is the overlap between IEMG and VFORX 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 VFORX 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 VFORX?

That depends on your goals — we state facts, not advice. At 10.1% overlap, each fund still contributes meaningfully distinct exposure.

What does IEMG own that VFORX doesn't?

IEMG holds 2,790 positions and VFORX holds 6; 289 of IEMG's positions don't appear in VFORX at all, and they are 3.1% of IEMG by weight.

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Related comparisons

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