EEM vs VTI: Correlation & Overlap
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM) and Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) show a strong relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.69. Looking through to holdings, 0.1% of the two portfolios is the same by weight.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are EEM and VTI?
On 3 years of weekly data the EEM/VTI correlation comes out at 0.69, strong. Little has changed lately, as the 1-year reading of 0.72 lands near the 3-year figure. The 5-year figure is 0.65, and annualized covariance runs at 180.8 %².
Within EEM's tracked universe of 67 assets, VTI comes in at #22 by 3-year correlation. The last year tells two different stories: EEM led by 17.4 percentage points, +38.1% for EEM against +20.7% for VTI. The link looks structural: the rolling one-year correlation barely moved, holding between 0.56 and 0.79.
How is this computed?
Pearson correlation on weekly returns: ρ(A,B) = cov(rA, rB) / (σA · σB), over windows of 52, 156 and 260 weeks. Covariance is annualized (×52) and expressed in %². Full definitions on the methodology page.
EEM vs VTI: side by side
| EEM (iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF) | VTI (Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +38.1% | +20.7% |
| 5-year return | +47.1% | +74.8% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 18.0% | 14.6% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.85 | 1.01 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -17.3% | -19.3% |
| Dividend yield | 1.73% | 1.06% |
| Expense ratio | 0.72% | 0.03% |
| Assets under management | $29.2B | $2,290.0B |
| Sector / category | ETF · International | ETF · US Large Cap |
EEM, iShares's Diversified Emerging Mkts fund, carries $29.2B under management, 968 holdings, a 0.72% expense ratio, a 1.73% trailing dividend yield. VTI, Vanguard's Large Blend fund, carries $2,290.0B under management, 3140 holdings, a 0.03% expense ratio, a 1.06% trailing dividend yield.
Portfolio overlap between EEM and VTI
The two portfolios are largely distinct, with 12 holdings in common adding up to 0.1% of fund weight. Where correlation shows the co-movement, the overlap shows its source.
| Common holding | Weight in EEM | Weight in VTI |
|---|---|---|
| HAL | 0.07% | 0.03% |
| BDX | 0.02% | 0.06% |
| SM | 0.02% | 0.01% |
| TEL | 0.01% | 0.08% |
| OUT | 0.03% | 0.01% |
| MTN | 0.17% | 0.01% |
| SLM | 0.08% | 0.01% |
| VAL | 0.19% | 0.01% |
| ABG | 0.10% | 0.01% |
| HTO | 0.03% | 0.00% |
| PPC | 0.06% | 0.00% |
| BHR | 0.03% | 0.00% |
Largest positions held only by EEM: 2330 (15.14%), 005930 (7.15%), 000660 (5.45%), 700 (2.83%), 9988 (2.02%). Only by VTI: NVDA (6.42%), AAPL (6.31%), MSFT (4.80%), AMZN (3.66%), GOOGL (2.91%).
Overlap = sum of the smaller of the two weights across common holdings, from issuer disclosures as of 2026-08-26. Top 12 common positions shown.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | EEM | VTI |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -20.6% | -19.5% |
| 2023 | +8.9% | +26.0% |
| 2024 | +6.5% | +23.8% |
| 2025 | +34.0% | +17.1% |
| 2026 | +24.2% | +14.2% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are EEM and VTI good diversifiers for each other?
To a limited degree. At 0.69 the two still catch most of the same waves, so the pair smooths returns a little without insulating either from a shared selloff.
FAQ
What is the correlation between EEM and VTI?
Using weekly returns as of 2026-08-27: 0.69 over 3 years, with 0.72 over the last year and 0.65 over 5 years.
Is VTI a good diversifier for EEM?
To a limited degree. At 0.69 the two still catch most of the same waves, so the pair smooths returns a little without insulating either from a shared selloff.
How much do EEM and VTI overlap?
0.1% by weight, across 12 common holdings, based on issuer-disclosed portfolios as of 2026-08-26.
Use this data
$ curl https://www.pairbook.io/api/v1/pairs/eem-vs-vti.json
Markdown for the live badge, attribution link included:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/eem-vs-vti/)
Free with attribution; caching and terms are described in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: EEM correlations · VTI correlations
