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Launched · SEC filings

Columbia EM Core ex-China ETF

XCEMNYSE ArcaColumbia ThreadneedleA

$46.45−0.05 (−0.11%)

At close: Nov 2, 2026, 4:00 PM ET

A78/ 100

Rank 2 of 22 in Emerging Markets Stocks

A78/100Rank 2 of 22inEmerging Markets Stocks
Intraday session: down, 79 prints from 46.50 to 46.45. Range 46.41 to 47.47. Use the arrow keys to read each point.46.8047.0047.2047.4010 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM
Expense ratio
0.16%
Fund size
$2.01B
1Y total return
+24.3%
Yield · Last 12 months
2.68%
Holdings
465
Avg volume · 30D
162K sh
52W range
low $36.72high $55.43
Launched
Filings
SEC EDGAR

The ETF.net XCEM Grade

A

Score 78 out of 100

Category
Emerging Markets Stocks⁠
Rank
2 of 22
Six-pillar profile for XCEM. Scores out of 100: Cost 90, Risk 51, Mission 100, Tradability 62, Holdings 60, Durability 78. Strongest: Mission (100). Weakest: Risk (51). Leans toward Mission.

Score 78 of 100 falls in the A band. A is 70 or higher, B 55 to under 70, C 40 to under 55, D 25 to under 40, F under 25.

  • Cost

    The fund’s net expense ratio, ranked against its category.
    A90 out of 100
    Rank 3 of 22

  • Mission

    Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.
    A100 out of 100
    Rank 1 of 17

  • Risk

    How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.
    C51 out of 100
    Rank 10 of 22

  • Tradability

    How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.
    B62 out of 100
    Rank 6 of 22

  • Holdings

    How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.
    B60 out of 100
    Rank 9 of 19

  • Durability

    Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.
    A78 out of 100
    Rank 7 of 22

Our read on XCEM

ETF.net Research

In short

AThe original ex-China emerging markets fund. Columbia launched XCEM in 2015, back when carving China out of an EM sleeve was a fringe idea rather than a crowded shelf. Roughly 150 EM stocks, no China, 0.16% a year.

Stated mandate

The fund seeks investment results that correspond to the performance of the EGAI Emerging Markets ex-China Index before fees and expenses. It generally invests at least 80% of net assets in index companies and seeks to replicate the index.

Why people hold it

  • Launched in 2015 as the first broad emerging markets ETF built to leave China out, and it has since grown into a billion-dollar-plus fund.morningstar.com
  • 0.16% a year, well under the typical fund in its emerging markets cohort, for a portfolio of about 150 stocks.
  • Plain mandate, closely followed: at least 80% of net assets in index companies, replicated rather than approximated, with tracking that has stayed tight.
  • One of the strongest implementations in its emerging markets peer group, and liquid enough that getting in and out is rarely the hard part.

Worth knowing

  • No China means no Tencent, no Alibaba, no A-shares. If that exposure belongs in the portfolio, it has to come from somewhere else.
  • Emerging market stocks swing hard and currency moves add to the ride. This is one of the higher-volatility corners of equity investing.
  • Cheap, not cheapest: VEXC runs the same ex-China EM idea at 0.07%. XCEM's edge is a decade of history, not the lowest fee on the shelf.

XCEM Holdings

Holdings pillarB60 out of 100Rank 9 of 19 in Emerging Markets Stocks
Asset class
Stocks
Holdings
465
Top-10 weight
35%
Largest holding
2330.TW15.9%

Sectors

  • Technology51.9%
  • Financials17.3%
  • Industrials9.0%
  • Materials5.3%
  • Consumer Discretionary4.3%
  • Energy3.1%
  • Communication2.7%
  • Health Care2.4%
  • Consumer Staples1.7%
  • Utilities1.6%
  • Real Estate0.8%

Geography

  • Taiwan40.09%
  • South Korea25.35%
  • India15.53%
  • Brazil3.73%
  • South Africa3.60%
  • Mexico2.16%
  • United States1.94%
  • Thailand1.78%
  • Other countries (13)5.82%

Developed 0% · Emerging 100% of the foreign sleeve

The fund’s holdings, weight-ordered — page 1 of 31.
#TickerCompanyWeight %SharesMarket valueHeld by ETFs
12330.TWTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd15.90%4,302,335$319M176
2005930.KSSamsung Electronics Co Ltd8.48%979,177$170M182
3000660.KSSk Hynix Inc3.31%58,101$66.3M186
42454.TWMediatek Inc1.78%287,508$35.7M169
52317.TWHon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd1.11%2,917,345$22.2M122
63711.TWAse Technology Holding Co Ltd1.05%1,005,461$21.1M116
72308.TWDelta Electronics Inc1.00%442,433$20.1M156
8IBNIcici Bank Ltd0.93%638,490$18.6M52
9IHCInternational Holding Co Pjsc0.92%198,645$18.4M4
10HDBHdfc Bank Ltd0.83%764,385$16.7M39
11RELIANCE.BOReliance Industries Ltd0.79%1,288,655$15.8M36
12SMHVaneck Semiconductor Etf0.73%25,977$14.6M15
13SOXXIshares Semiconductor Etf0.69%26,793$13.8M11
14009150.KSSamsung Electro-Mechanics Co Ltd0.68%14,070$13.6M123
15402340.KSSk Square Co Ltd0.68%19,032$13.6M111

Showing 1–15 of 465 holdings

XCEM Performance

Launched Sep 2, 2015

Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.

XCEM$12,425
SPY tracks large US stocks. It provides market context, rather than representing this fund’s strategy, asset class or investment benchmark.$11,199
Oct 31, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026. XCEM $12,425. SPY $11,199. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$10,000$12,000$14,000Oct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026

Oct 31, 2025 – Oct 30, 2026

Returns run to the Oct 30, 2026 close, with cash distributions reinvested. Each period starts on the same date that many months or years earlier. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.

Trailing total return for XCEM. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.
PeriodXCEM
Year to date+21.2%
1 month−9.6%
3 months−1.9%
1 year+24.3%
3 yearsper year+23.8%
5 yearsper year+10.1%
10 yearsper year+9.8%

With distributions reinvested.

Calendar-year total return with cash distributions hypothetically reinvested at the ex-dividend date’s closing price. The current year shows year to date.

Annual total returns for XCEM
YearReturn barXCEM
2026 YTD+21.2%
2025+34.0%
2024+0.5%
2023+20.0%
2022−17.6%
2021+7.9%
2020+9.5%

XCEM in the news

XCEM Dividends

Adds up every distribution paid per share over the last 12 months, divided by the last completed close. Distributions are counted by ex-date. Data through Oct 30, 2026.
2.68%Last 12 months
Payout per share
$1.25Last 12 months
Last payment
$1.25 per share
Paid on
Shares bought on or after this date do not qualify for this distribution.
Frequency
Annual

Distribution history

2017–2026

One bar per payment. 9 payments from 2017 to 2026 YTD. Dec 15, 2017 $2.37; Dec 21, 2018 $0.77; Dec 20, 2019 $0.59; Dec 18, 2020 $0.49; Dec 20, 2021 $0.62; Dec 19, 2022 $0.62; Dec 18, 2023 $0.37; Dec 18, 2024 $0.82; Dec 18, 2025 $1.25. Use the arrow keys to read each point.2017201820192020202120222023202420252026YTD
Ex-datePay dateAmount per share
Dec 18, 2025Dec 26, 2025$1.25
Dec 18, 2024Dec 26, 2024$0.82
Dec 18, 2023Dec 26, 2023$0.37
Dec 19, 2022Dec 27, 2022$0.62
Dec 20, 2021Dec 27, 2021$0.62
Dec 18, 2020Dec 28, 2020$0.49
Dec 20, 2019Dec 26, 2019$0.59
Dec 21, 2018Dec 27, 2018$0.77
Dec 15, 2017Dec 29, 2017$2.37
Dec 23, 2016Dec 30, 2016$0.28
Dec 29, 2015Jan 12, 2016$0.51

$10,000 in XCEM 10 years ago paid $3,471 in dividends.

XCEM Risk

Risk pillarC51 out of 100Rank 10 of 22 in Emerging Markets Stocks
How much the fund’s monthly returns vary, scaled to a year.
20.0%
Annualised · 36 months to Oct 2026
How it’s calculated: standard deviation

The sample standard deviation of monthly total returns, multiplied by the square root of 12.

Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Total returns include reinvested distributions.

Return above 3-month US Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
0.95
vs 3-month T-bills · to Oct 2026
How it’s calculated: Sharpe ratio

Subtract each month’s Treasury-bill return from the fund’s monthly total return.

Divide the average of those excess returns by their sample standard deviation, then multiply by the square root of 12.

Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Each month uses the Treasury yield quoted at the end of the previous month.

The largest fall from a peak to the low that followed.
−29.5%
Trough Oct 2022
How it’s calculated: maximum drawdown

The largest percentage decline from an earlier peak, using total returns with reinvested distributions.

Uses up to five years through the last close, with at least 12 months required.

How strongly the fund’s returns move with its asset-class index.
1.27
vs its asset-class index
How it’s calculated: beta

The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.

FMP measures it over up to five years of monthly returns.

XCEM Cost

Compare XCEM and VEXC

Overpaying vs VEXC, cheapest in Emerging Markets Stocks

$1,862

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

  • XCEM 0.16%

    $3,342

  • VEXC 0.07% Cheapest

    $1,480

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • XCEM 0.16%
  • VEXC 0.07%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$1K$2K$3K$4K051015202530XCEM $3,342VEXC $1,480

Year by year

YearXCEMVEXCOverpaying
10$292$128$164
20$1,141$503$638
30$3,342$1,480$1,862

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