ETF Versus

SCHE vs VWO

Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF vs Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund

Last updated: 2026-04-10

SCHE Schwab

Schwab Emerging Markets Equity ETF (SCHE) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Schwab that provides exposure to stocks in emerging market economies with higher growth potential. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.07%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.73%. Launched in 2010, the fund has a 16-year track record.

AUM: $12.0B ER: 0.07% Yield: 2.73% Since: Jan 14, 2010
VWO Vanguard

Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund (VWO) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to stocks in emerging market economies with higher growth potential. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.64%. Launched in 2005, the fund has a 21-year track record.

AUM: $114.9B ER: 0.06% Yield: 2.64% Since: Mar 4, 2005

Quick Verdict

Both funds have nearly identical expense ratios (0.06% vs 0.07%), so fees are not a differentiator here. Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (35.1% vs 35.4%), tracking closely.

Key Metrics

Metric SCHE VWO
Expense Ratio 0.07% 0.06%
Dividend Yield 2.7% 2.6%
Fund Family Schwab Vanguard
Category Emerging Markets Emerging Markets

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

65 75 85 95 105 115 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
SCHE +9.4%
VWO +9.5%

Performance Comparison

Period SCHE VWO Difference
1 Month +2.22% +2.17% +0.05%
3 Months +0.61% +0.84% -0.23%
6 Months +3.88% +5.12% -1.24%
YTD +3.16% +3.34% -0.18%
1 Year +35.14% +35.35% -0.21%
3 Years +40.07% +39.47% +0.60%
5 Years +9.40% +9.46% -0.06%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SCHE Fees VWO Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $140 $120 $20
$10,000 20 years $600 $515 $85
$10,000 30 years $1,938 $1,664 $275
$50,000 10 years $698 $598 $99
$50,000 30 years $9,692 $8,318 $1,373
$100,000 30 years $19,383 $16,637 $2,747

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SCHE VWO
Annualized Volatility 17.8% 17.4%
Max Drawdown -35.8% -35.9%
Sharpe Ratio -0.06 -0.07

Dividend Comparison

Metric SCHE VWO
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.94 $1.45
Dividend Yield 2.73% 2.56%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Quarterly

Top Holdings

7 of top 8 holdings overlap (88% overlap in top holdings)

SCHE Top Holdings

NameWeight
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited!tpe/233014.12%
Tencent Holdings Limited!hkg/07003.97%
Alibaba Group Holding Limited!otc/BABAF2.78%
Reliance Industries Limited!nse/RELIANCE0.98%
China Construction Bank Corporation!hkg/09390.96%
HDFC Bank Limited!nse/HDFCBANK0.96%
Delta Electronics, Inc.!tpe/23080.88%
PDD Holdings Inc.PDD0.79%
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.!tpe/23170.75%

VWO Top Holdings

NameWeight
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited!tpe/233012.71%
Tencent Holdings Limited!hkg/07003.44%
Alibaba Group Holding Limited!otc/BABAF2.74%
HDFC Bank Limited!nse/HDFCBANK0.93%
Reliance Industries Limited!nse/RELIANCE0.88%
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.!tpe/23170.78%
MediaTek Inc.!tpe/24540.76%
China Construction Bank Corporation!hkg/09390.75%

Which One Should You Choose?

Either works if...

you just need broad emerging markets exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

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