ETF Evaluator:
iShares JP Morgan USD Em Mkts Bd ETF ()
Follow This ETF
(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Emerging Markets Bond Over the Last Year
| 12.8% | Virtus Stone Harbor Emr Mkt Hi Yld BdETF (VEMY) |
| 11.5% | VanEck Emerging Markets Bond ETF (EMBX) |
| 11.3% | Neuberger Em Mkts Debt Hard Ccy ETF (NEMD) |
| 9.5% | iShares J.P. Morgan EM High Yld Bd ETF (EMHY) |
| 9.4% | Simplify Gamma Emerging Market Bond ETF (GAEM) |
Risk
Index
Risk
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ETF Details
iShares JP Morgan USD Em Mkts Bd ETF Overview
iShares JP Morgan USD Em Mkts Bd ETF (EMB) is a passively managed Taxable Bond Emerging Markets Bond exchange-traded fund (ETF). iShares launched the ETF in 2007.
The investment seeks to track the investment results of the J.P. Morgan Emerging Markets Bond Index Global Diversified Core composed of U.S. dollar-denominated, emerging market bonds.
The fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of the underlying index and will invest at least 90% of its assets in fixed income securities of the types included in the underlying index. The index is a broad, diverse U.S. dollar-denominated emerging markets debt benchmark that tracks the total return of actively traded external debt instruments in emerging market countries.
About iShares JP Morgan USD Em Mkts Bd ETF (EMB)
There are 3 members of the management team with an average tenure of 5.70 years: James Mauro (2011), Jonathan Graves (2025) and Marcus Tom (2025). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: JPM EMBI Global Diversified TR USD index with a weighting of 100% and JPM EMBI Global Core TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. iShares JP Morgan USD Em Mkts Bd ETF has 616 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 7.5% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
iShares JP Morgan USD Em Mkts Bd ETF is part of the Fixed Income global asset class and is within the Taxable Bond ETF group. iShares JP Morgan USD Em Mkts Bd ETF has 98.5% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0% There is 0.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 98.5% (0.0% domestic bond, 98.5% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). iShares JP Morgan USD Em Mkts Bd ETF has 1.5% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $14 billion in total assets, which is above the $1 billion average for the Emerging Markets Bond category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
EMB Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The iShares JP Morgan USD Em Mkts Bd ETF expense ratio is below average compared to funds in the Emerging Markets Bond category. iShares JP Morgan USD Em Mkts Bd ETF has an expense ratio of 0.39%, which is 15% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a B. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. iShares JP Morgan USD Em Mkts Bd ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 12%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.1 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 56% for the Emerging Markets Bond category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, iShares JP Morgan USD Em Mkts Bd ETF returned -1.7%, which earned it a grade of D, as the Emerging Markets Bond category had an average return of -1.1%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
iShares JP Morgan USD Em Mkts Bd ETF has a trailing yield of 5.15%, which is below the 6.13% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income monthly and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
iShares JP Morgan USD Em Mkts Bd ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 0.7%, 1.3 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of D. The fund has returned 7.1% over the past year (grade of C), 8.3% over the past three years (grade of C) and 1.6% per year over the past five years (grade of D) and 2.8% per year over the past 10 years (grade of F).
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EMB Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| EMB Return (NAV) | -1.7% | 0.1% | 7.1% | 8.3% | 1.6% | 2.8% |
| EMB Return (Price) | -1.4% | 0.1% | 7.3% | 8.1% | 1.5% | 2.8% |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.277% | -0.013% | -0.132% | 0.184% | 0.095% | 0.063% |
| Emerging Markets Bond Avg | -1.1% | 0.6% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 2.3% | 3.6% |
| EMB Grade (NAV) | D | D | C | C | D | F |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -0.6% | -0.5% | -0.9% | -0.5% | -0.7% | -0.7% |
| EMB Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
EMB Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| EMB Return (NAV) | 0.7% | 13.4% | 6.1% | 10.6% | -18.0% | -2.4% | 5.5% | 15.6% | -5.7% | 10.0% | 9.4% |
| EMB Return (Price) | 0.9% | 13.9% | 5.5% | 10.6% | -18.6% | -2.2% | 5.4% | 15.5% | -5.5% | 10.3% | 9.3% |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.250% | 0.030% | -0.093% | 0.002% | 0.034% | -0.086% | -0.010% | -0.6% | -3.5% | 3.1% | -1.6% |
| Emerging Markets Bond Avg | 2.0% | 13.0% | 6.8% | 10.3% | -14.2% | -3.3% | 5.9% | 13.9% | -4.6% | 9.8% | 10.7% |
| EMB Grade (NAV) | D | B | C | B | F | C | C | B | D | B | D |
| +/- Category | -1.3% | 0.4% | -0.7% | 0.3% | -3.8% | 0.9% | -0.4% | 1.7% | -1.1% | 0.2% | -1.2% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 1.10 |
| R-Squared: | 78% |
| Standard Deviation: | 7.0% |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.13 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Above Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.57 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Below Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 5.2% |
| Total Assets: | $ 14,607 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 14,607 Mil |
| Turnover: | 12.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.39% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | JPM EMBI Global Diversified TR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Monthly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 3 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 15.1 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 5.7 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Mauro James (2011), Graves Jonathan (2025), Tom Marcus (2025) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 616 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 7.5% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 98.5% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 98.5% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 1.5% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | iShares |
| Phone Number: | 800-474-2737 |
| Website: | au.ishares.com |
| Inception Date: | December 17, 2007 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.39% (Rating: Below Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.46% |