To avoid anyone from running out to get more aspirin, below is my summary (by tickers) of the categorization model of ETF selection for the Emerging Markets. Note again that the bottom left box represents true benchmark ETFs.
Note that with anything else, there is some subjectivity to some of the categorization that is up for debate, but you should find this helpful nonetheless.
The remainder of this report addresses the second cause for a headache and it uses my proprietary ranking methodology to weed through the numerous Emerging Market ETFs to select what I believe to be the best among a selection of both strategy and benchmark ETFs. In other words, if you have no preference for a benchmark or a strategy ETF, then this section may help you make a decision. Keep in mind having clear stated investment goals set up before any purchase is made is highly advisable.
With that said, it may come as a surprise to some that 4 of the top ranking Emerging Market ETFs, according to my methodology were true benchmark ETFs, suggesting that the time and money invested into building a better house and trying to beat the benchmark is not paying off, in my view. This does not mean another person’s view cannot be defended or that a strategy Emerging Market ETF won’t outperform over another time frame or in the future, but the way that I have culled the data suggests to me that the time is not now.