ETF Evaluator:
Xtrackers MSCI EMs Select ETF ()
Follow This ETF
(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Diversified Emerging Mkts Over the Last Year
| 114.0% | Nomura Focused Emerging Mrkts Eq ETF (EMEQ) |
| 81.0% | FT EM Human Flourishing ETF (FTHF) |
| 68.7% | First Trust Bloomberg Emr Mkt Dem ETF (EMDM) |
| 67.8% | Freedom 100 Emerging Markets ETF (FRDM) |
| 59.4% | Pacific NoS Global EM Equity Active ETF (GEME) |
Risk
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Risk
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ETF Details
Xtrackers MSCI EMs Select ETF Overview
Xtrackers MSCI EMs Select ETF (EMCS) is a passively managed International Equity Diversified Emerging Mkts exchange-traded fund (ETF). Xtrackers launched the ETF in 2018.
The investment seeks investment results that correspond generally to the performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI Global Climate 500 Emerging Markets Selection Index.
The underlying index represents an emerging markets subset of the MSCI ACWI Select Climate 500 Index (the “parent index”), which is designed to track the performance of approximately 500 stocks of companies. The fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets (but typically far more) in component securities (including depositary receipts in respect of such securities) of the underlying index. The fund is non-diversified.
About Xtrackers MSCI EMs Select ETF (EMCS)
There are 4 members of the management team with an average tenure of 5.14 years: Patrick Dwyer (2018), Shlomo Bassous (2018), Ashif Shaikh (2022) and Daniel Park (2024). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: MSCI EM NR USD index with a weighting of 100% and MSCI Glb Climate 500 EM Selection NR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Xtrackers MSCI EMs Select ETF has 79 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 50.6% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a nondiversified fund. The ETF is considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Xtrackers MSCI EMs Select ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the International Equity ETF group. Xtrackers MSCI EMs Select ETF has 96.9% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 2.5% There is 96.9% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Xtrackers MSCI EMs Select ETF has 0.5% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $1 billion in total assets, which is below the $3 billion average for the Diversified Emerging Mkts 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.
EMCS 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 Xtrackers MSCI EMs Select ETF expense ratio is low compared to funds in the Diversified Emerging Mkts category. Xtrackers MSCI EMs Select ETF has an expense ratio of 0.15%, which is 71% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a A. 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. Xtrackers MSCI EMs Select ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 171%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 44% for the Diversified Emerging Mkts category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Xtrackers MSCI EMs Select ETF returned -2.0%, which earned it a grade of B, as the Diversified Emerging Mkts category had an average return of -3.0%. 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.
Xtrackers MSCI EMs Select ETF has a trailing yield of 1.49%, which is below the 2.41% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income semi-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.
Xtrackers MSCI EMs Select ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 26.8%, 9.7 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of A. The fund has returned 46.6% over the past year (grade of A), 23.0% over the past three years (grade of A) and 8.7% per year over the past five years (grade of B).
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EMCS 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 |
|
| EMCS Return (NAV) | -2.0% | 10.7% | 46.6% | 23.0% | 8.7% | na |
| EMCS Return (Price) | -6.0% | 5.2% | 44.4% | 22.0% | 8.0% | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 4.014% | 5.522% | 2.255% | 0.983% | 0.692% | na |
| Diversified Emerging Mkts Avg | -3.0% | 3.0% | 31.9% | 16.6% | 7.1% | 7.8% |
| EMCS Grade (NAV) | B | A | A | A | B | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 1.0% | 7.7% | 14.7% | 6.5% | 1.6% | na |
| EMCS Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.7% | na |
EMCS Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| EMCS Return (NAV) | 26.8% | 37.7% | 11.0% | 5.6% | -23.0% | -2.3% | 19.9% | 19.1% | na | na | na |
| EMCS Return (Price) | 24.3% | 38.7% | 10.1% | 5.7% | -23.6% | -2.0% | 19.7% | 19.5% | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.091% | 0.027% | -0.082% | 0.013% | 0.027% | -0.104% | -0.007% | 1.9% | na | na | na |
| Diversified Emerging Mkts Avg | 17.1% | 29.2% | 6.7% | 12.8% | -18.8% | 2.3% | 12.7% | 18.2% | -14.6% | 33.7% | 10.9% |
| EMCS Grade (NAV) | A | A | A | F | F | D | A | C | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | 9.7% | 8.5% | 4.4% | -7.1% | -4.2% | -4.6% | 7.2% | 0.9% | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 1.18 |
| R-Squared: | 74% |
| Standard Deviation: | 19.0% |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.17 |
| Category Risk Rating: | High |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.55 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Above Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 1.5% |
| Total Assets: | $ 1,014 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 1,014 Mil |
| Turnover: | 171.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.15% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | MSCI EM NR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | Yes |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Semi-Annually |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 4 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 7.7 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 5.1 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Dwyer Patrick (2018), Bassous Shlomo (2018), Shaikh Ashif (2022), Park Daniel (2024) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 79 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 50.6% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 96.9% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 2.5% |
| Foreign Stock: | 96.9% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.5% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | Xtrackers |
| Phone Number: | 844-851-4255 |
| Website: | www.DWS.com |
| Inception Date: | December 4, 2018 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.15% (Rating: Low) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.52% |
