ETF Evaluator:
VanEck Emerging Markets Bond 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
Index
ETF Details
VanEck Emerging Markets Bond ETF Overview
VanEck Emerging Markets Bond ETF (EMBX) is an actively managed Taxable Bond Emerging Markets Bond exchange-traded fund (ETF). VanEck launched the ETF in 2012.
The investment seeks total return, consisting of income and capital appreciation.
The fund normally invests at least 80% of its net assets in emerging market debt securities. An instrument will qualify as an emerging market debt security if it is either (i) issued by an emerging market government, quasi-government or corporate entity (regardless of the currency in which it is denominated) or (ii) denominated in the currency of an emerging market country (regardless of the location of the issuer). The fund is non-diversified.
About VanEck Emerging Markets Bond ETF (EMBX)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 13.17 years: Eric Fine (2012) and David Austerweil (2014). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 3 primary benchmarks: ICE BofA Gbl Brd Mkt TR USD index with a weighting of 100%, JPM GBI-EM Global Diversified TR USD index with a weighting of 50% and JPM EMBI Global Diversified TR USD index with a weighting of 50%. VanEck Emerging Markets Bond ETF has 138 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 23.3% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a nondiversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
VanEck Emerging Markets Bond ETF is part of the Fixed Income global asset class and is within the Taxable Bond ETF group. VanEck Emerging Markets Bond ETF has 91.6% 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 92.6% (1.0% domestic bond, 91.6% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). VanEck Emerging Markets Bond ETF has 7.4% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $262 million in total assets, which is below 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.
EMBX 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 VanEck Emerging Markets Bond ETF expense ratio is above average compared to funds in the Emerging Markets Bond category. VanEck Emerging Markets Bond ETF has an expense ratio of 0.76%, which is 65% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a F. 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. VanEck Emerging Markets Bond ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 217%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 56% for the Emerging Markets Bond category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, VanEck Emerging Markets Bond ETF returned -0.2%, which earned it a grade of A, 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.
VanEck Emerging Markets Bond ETF has a trailing yield of 5.32%, 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.
VanEck Emerging Markets Bond ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 3.4%, 1.4 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of B. The fund has returned 11.5% over the past year (grade of A), 9.3% over the past three years (grade of B) and 4.7% per year over the past five years (grade of A) and 5.0% per year over the past 10 years (grade of A).
For more ETF grades, analysis and screening tools to help your investment discovery, join AAII for a $2, full-access trial. Learn more here: https://invest.aaii.com/membership.
Otherwise, for more information about VanEck Emerging Markets Bond ETF, including its riskiness, submit your email to unlock the rest of the article.
Gain access to exclusive AAII member-only content.
EMBX 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 |
|
| EMBX Return (NAV) | -0.2% | 0.7% | 11.5% | 9.3% | 4.7% | 5.0% |
| EMBX Return (Price) | 0.2% | 0.8% | 11.8% | 9.4% | 4.8% | 5.0% |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.391% | -0.104% | -0.325% | -0.106% | -0.061% | -0.031% |
| Emerging Markets Bond Avg | -1.1% | 0.6% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 2.3% | 3.6% |
| EMBX Grade (NAV) | A | C | A | B | A | A |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 0.9% | 0.1% | 3.5% | 0.6% | 2.4% | 1.4% |
| EMBX Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 2.2% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.8% |
EMBX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| EMBX Return (NAV) | 3.4% | 19.1% | 3.1% | 11.0% | -7.2% | -4.3% | 11.6% | 13.1% | -6.2% | 12.0% | 6.5% |
| EMBX Return (Price) | 3.8% | 18.9% | 3.1% | 11.0% | -7.2% | -4.3% | 11.6% | 13.1% | -6.2% | 12.0% | 6.5% |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.126% | -0.007% | 0.000% | 0.000% | 0.000% | 0.000% | 0.000% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 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% |
| EMBX Grade (NAV) | B | A | F | B | A | D | A | D | F | A | F |
| +/- Category | 1.4% | 6.0% | -3.8% | 0.7% | 7.0% | -1.0% | 5.7% | -0.8% | -1.6% | 2.2% | -4.2% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 1.05 |
| R-Squared: | 65% |
| Standard Deviation: | 7.3% |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.19 |
| Category Risk Rating: | High |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.60 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Below Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 5.3% |
| Total Assets: | $ 262 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 262 Mil |
| Turnover: | 217.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.76% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | ICE BofA Gbl Brd Mkt 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: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 14.1 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 13.2 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Fine Eric (2012), Austerweil David (2014) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 138 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 23.3% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 91.6% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 1.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 91.6% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 7.4% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | VanEck |
| Phone Number: | 800-826-2333 |
| Website: | www.vaneck.com |
| Inception Date: | July 9, 2012 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.76% (Rating: Above Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.46% |
