Will a State Street Global Stocks ETF Give You Better Returns Than a Schwab Emerging Markets Fund?

State Street’s SPDR Portfolio MSCI Global Stock Market ETF (SPGM) and Schwab’s Emerging Markets Equity ETF (SCHE) both give exposure to non-U.S. equities, but they play different portfolio roles because of their geographic focus. SPGM aims to track the MSCI ACWI IMI Index with 2,862 holdings and concentrates heavily in technology (30%), financials (17%) and industrials (12%); it launched in 2012. SCHE follows the FTSE Emerging Index, holds 2,181 developing-market stocks, and is sector-heavy in technology (30%) and financials (22%). SCHE is cheaper (0.06% expense ratio vs. 0.09%), and shows a higher trailing yield (2.6% vs. 1.7%).