PIE’s trouncing of its rivals is nothing new. As Balchunas reports, “PIE’s outperformance extends back historically. If you go back three years, it’s up 52.3%, compared to 15.6% for VWO and 14.1% for EEM. And its dominance extends beyond those two peers. When stacked up against the 44 other emerging market equity ETFs, PIE is No. 1 in year-to-date performance, with a 14.5% return” according to Bloomberg data.
Investors are taking note. Since the start of May, PIE has seen $51.1 million in inflows, or just under 10% of its current assets total of $529.7 million, according to Index Universe data.
PIE is not perfect. Its 0.9% expense ratio is far higher than what is found on VWO and EEM. Not to mention PIE’s paltry trailing 12-month dividend yield of 0.61%. However, those sacrifices might be worth making if BRIC and other large emerging markets continue to lag.
ETF Trends editorial team contributed to this story.