iShares MSCI AC Far East ex-Japan vs Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets
iShares MSCI AC Far East ex-Japan tracks MSCI AC Far East ex-Japan and Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets tracks FTSE Emerging. They are realistic alternatives for the same slot in a portfolio, but because the indices are different nobody can tell you in advance which will return more. What can be compared objectively is the cost, the replication method, the domicile and how each one is structured — and that is what this page does.
What each one tracks
This is the underlying difference: they do not follow the same index, so their returns will diverge.
iShares MSCI AC Far East ex-Japan
MSCI AC Far East ex-Japan
Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets
FTSE Emerging
Comparison
| iShares MSCI AC Far East ex-Japan | Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets | |
|---|---|---|
| Index | MSCI AC Far East ex-Japan | FTSE Emerging |
| TER | 0.74% | 0.22% |
| Hist. return* | ~6% | ~6% |
| Replication | Physical | Physical |
| Distribution | Distributing | Distributing |
| Domicile | Irlanda | Irlanda |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Risk | 5/7 | 4/7 |
| ISIN | IE00BKPX3K41 | IE00B3VVMM84 |
What the fee gap actually costs
Applying the SAME 7% gross return to both and contributing €300/month, the only thing moving the result is the TER. This is not a return forecast: it is how much the fee weighs.
| Horizon | iShares MSCI AC Far East ex-Japan | Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 years | €50,124 | €51,591 | €1,468 |
| 20 years | €143,709 | €153,029 | €9,320 |
| 30 years | €318,439 | €352,474 | €34,035 |
Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets is the cheaper of the two. Remember they track different indices: cost is one factor, not the verdict.
Nobody can know which will perform better: they track different indices and past performance is not a prediction. What is objective today is the cost, the replication, the domicile and the distribution policy.
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Create free accountFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between iShares MSCI AC Far East ex-Japan and Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets?+
They track different indices: iShares MSCI AC Far East ex-Japan follows MSCI AC Far East ex-Japan and Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets follows FTSE Emerging. They also differ in cost (0.74% vs 0.22% TER), replication (physical vs physical) and domicile (Irlanda vs Irlanda).
Which one will perform better?+
Nobody can know that: they track different indices, so their returns will diverge, and past index performance is not a prediction. What you can control today is the cost, the tax structure and whether the index actually covers what you want exposure to.
Which one is cheaper?+
Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets has the lower annual fee. Applying the same 7% gross return to both with €300/month, that fee gap alone is worth about €9,320 after 20 years — that part is arithmetic, not a forecast.
Accumulating or distributing?+
Both are distributing, so on this point there is no difference between them.
Can I hold both?+
Yes. Unlike two funds tracking the identical index, these give you genuinely different exposure, so holding both is not automatically redundant — just be aware you may end up overlapping on the largest companies and doubling your rebalancing work.
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