As at 4 October 2026, the GBP Acc class of Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund has an ongoing charge of 0.23%, against an average of 0.76% for funds in its category (Equity Emerging Market Global). You might expect a technology heavy portfolio from its reputation. The sector table says otherwise, and the real concentration sits somewhere else.
The sector mix is close to the average
| Sector | Fund | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| Technology | 33.5% | 35.3% |
| Financials | 20.7% | 20.9% |
| Consumer Discretionary | 10.2% | 9.7% |
| Communication Services | 7.5% | 6.3% |
| Materials | 7.4% | 5.7% |
| Industrials | 7.3% | 8.5% |
Technology is slightly below the category average, as FE classifies sectors. The sector label is not what sets this fund apart.
Three markets and one stock
By country, Taiwan is 27.1%, Korea 20.3%, China 20.2% and India 11.2%, with Brazil at 3.9%, South Africa 3.2% and Saudi Arabia 2.4%. Taiwan, Korea and China together are 67.6%. The ten largest holdings, as at 4 October 2026, are TSMC at 14.8%, Samsung Electronics at 7.0% (plus 0.9% in its preference shares), SK Hynix at 5.3%, Tencent at 2.8%, Alibaba at 1.9%, MediaTek at 1.4%, Delta Electronics at 0.9%, China Construction Bank at 0.8% and Hon Hai at 0.8%. Together these are about 37.6% of the fund, and five of them are Taiwanese or Korean chip and electronics companies.
Returns against the category
Over three years the fund returned 74.9%, against a category median of 75.4%. Over one year it returned 30.7%, against 31.0%. Over three months it fell 0.3%, against a median fall of 0.7%. Returns are in pounds sterling from FE’s month-end data to 30 September 2026, and the median is the median of the funds’ own returns.
The fund has tracked its category median closely in all three windows. For a tracker that is the expected outcome, and it is a reminder that a low charge gives you a portfolio that moves with its index, whatever that index holds.
What to check in any tracker
The index it follows (this fund follows the MSCI Emerging Markets Index), its country and stock weights, its ten largest holdings and its ongoing charge. The first is on the factsheet. The others take a few clicks on the fund page.
Questions to ask of the tracker
A low charge invites practical questions. Does the index it follows suit what you want to own, given where the weight sits? How much of the fund is in its largest holding? How does the fund’s record compare with its category over the windows that matter to you? A tracker tells you what the index holds, not what a manager chose, so the weights above describe the index as the fund holds it. The fund page shows the same holdings, and the share class you hold may differ in cost from the GBP accumulation class used here. Our figures describe the fund on the dates shown and nothing beyond them.
How we calculated these figures
Sector and country weights and the ten largest holdings come from the fund’s latest reported portfolio, as at the date given. The category average is the average across funds in the same FE category that report sector data. Country weights are as reported and are not adjusted for differences in how providers label countries.
Returns are FE month-end cumulative returns in pounds sterling, and the category median is the median of the funds’ own returns. The ongoing charge is the latest published figure for this class. We have not adjusted or estimated any figure.
Source: FE fundinfo. Returns as at 30 September 2026; holdings as at 4 October 2026. Past performance is not a reliable guide to future returns. Capital is at risk. This is information, not personal advice.
Past performance is not a guide to future returns. Capital is at risk.
Funds Benchmark provides research and tooling for institutional and private investors. Nothing in this note is investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any specific fund.