ETF Evaluator:
Virtus Emerging Markets Dividend ETF ()
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(as of Aug 13)
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
Virtus Emerging Markets Dividend ETF Overview
Virtus Emerging Markets Dividend ETF (VEM) is an actively managed International Equity Diversified Emerging Mkts exchange-traded fund (ETF). Virtus launched the ETF in 2026.
The investment seeks current income, with a secondary objective of long-term capital appreciation.
Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus borrowings made for investment purposes) in the securities of companies that pay dividend income and are tied economically to emerging market countries. The fund normally invests primarily in common stocks, either directly or indirectly through depositary receipts.
About Virtus Emerging Markets Dividend ETF (VEM)
There are 4 members of the management team with an average tenure of 0.49 years: Kunal Ghosh (2026), Jie Wei (2026), Yang Zhang (2026) and Lu Yu (2026). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
Virtus Emerging Markets Dividend ETF has 63 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 51.9% 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.
Virtus Emerging Markets Dividend ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the International Equity ETF group. Virtus Emerging Markets Dividend ETF has 99.9% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0% There is 99.9% 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). Virtus Emerging Markets Dividend ETF has 0.1% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $6 million 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.
VEM 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 Virtus Emerging Markets Dividend ETF expense ratio is average compared to funds in the Diversified Emerging Mkts category. Virtus Emerging Markets Dividend ETF has an expense ratio of 0.49%, which is 5% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a C. 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. Virtus Emerging Markets Dividend ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 0%, which indicates that it holds its assets around /years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 44% for the Diversified Emerging Mkts category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Virtus Emerging Markets Dividend ETF returned 0.7%, which earned it a grade of A, 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.
Virtus Emerging Markets Dividend ETF has a trailing yield of 0.00%, which is below the 2.41% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income quarterly 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.
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VEM 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 |
|
| VEM Return (NAV) | 0.7% | 6.7% | na | na | na | na |
| VEM Return (Price) | -2.7% | 2.5% | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 3.389% | 4.249% | na | na | na | na |
| Diversified Emerging Mkts Avg | -3.0% | 3.0% | 31.9% | 16.6% | 7.1% | 7.8% |
| VEM Grade (NAV) | A | A | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 3.7% | 3.8% | na | na | na | na |
| VEM Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | na | na | na | na |
VEM Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| VEM Return (NAV) | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| VEM Return (Price) | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | 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% |
| VEM Grade (NAV) | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | na |
| R-Squared: | na |
| Standard Deviation: | na |
| Category Risk Index: | na |
| Category Risk Rating: | |
| Total Risk Index: | na |
| Total Risk Rating: | |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | -- |
| Total Assets: | $ 7 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 7 Mil |
| Turnover: | na |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.49% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | N/A |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Quarterly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 4 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 0.5 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 0.5 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Ghosh Kunal (2026), Wei Jie (2026), Zhang Yang (2026), Yu Lu (2026) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 63 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 51.9% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 99.9% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 99.9% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.1% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | Virtus |
| Phone Number: | 888-383-0553 |
| Website: | http://www.newfleet.com/ |
| Inception Date: | February 3, 2026 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.49% (Rating: Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.52% |
