LEMB ETF — iShares J.P. Morgan EM Local Currency Bond ETF

iShares J.P. Morgan EM Local Currency Bond ETF (LEMB)

Updated October 16, 2026.

LEMB is an ETF. its distribution rate is 1.16%, its trailing-12-month yield is 2.39%, its expense ratio is 0.30%. Dividend Vision Distribution Safety Score™ is 68/100 (Generally safe). Total return is 11.2% over the past 15 years, 703.5 points behind SPY at 714.7%.

This ETF tracks local currency-denominated sovereign bonds issued by emerging market countries, investing at least 80% of its assets in the underlying index components. The fund carries a modest current distribution rate with annual distributions, though the latest payout was special and may not recur regularly, and operates at a low expense ratio of 0.30%. It appeals to fixed-income investors seeking exposure to emerging market government debt in local currencies.

LEMB performance versus SPY

Price and return data through 2026-10-16.

Total return is 11.2% over the past 15 years, 703.5 points behind SPY at 714.7%. Over the past year its total return — price change plus distributions reinvested — is 5.1%. Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 6.0%.

LEMB key facts

Distribution Safety Score™

68 · Generally safe

Safety-Adjusted Yield

0.79%

Issuer

iShares

Asset type

ETF

Asset class

Fixed Income

Inception date

10/18/2011

Expense ratio

0.30%

Distribution rate

1.16%

Distribution frequency

Annual

Trailing yield

2.39%

Last close

$42.43 (as of 2026-10-16)

AUM

$736,130,704

Average volume

68989.0

Dividend

$1.015

Ex-dividend date

12/19/2025

Payment date

12/24/2025

Beta

0.96

How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns

Distribution rate (1.16%) uses calculation basis unavailable. Issuer rates can use a different denominator and date, including ex-date NAV. Trailing-12-month yield (2.39%) is the sum of split-adjusted cash distributions with ex-dates in the last 12 months, divided by the published price. It lags a recent raise or cut. Total return uses split-adjusted close with distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date) from the first stored bar on or after inception through the latest bar, compared with the same window on the benchmark. That is the security's total return, not your personal gain/loss.

Yield and safety methodology · Distribution rate methodology · Distribution Safety Score methodology

Sources and review

Primary sources: iShares; prices and distributions from Dividend Vision, derived from vendor EOD data.

Reviewed by Bert Sweet, CEO and Co-owner of Dividend Vision. Methodology: Distribution Safety Score.

LEMB risks and drawbacks

LEMB's current distribution rate is moderate, not a high-yield payout — the strategy is dividend quality more than maximum income. Payments are annual, so cash flow is lumpy versus a monthly fund. Total return has trailed SPY over the available window. The deepest 1-year drawdown on record here is 6.0%.

Who may consider LEMB — and who may not

It is a weaker fit for investors who need monthly cash flow (LEMB pays annual); investors hunting double-digit covered-call yields; investors whose main goal is matching SPY total return. This is educational context, not a recommendation to buy or sell.

More on LEMB

• All tickers starting with L

Tagged: Fixed Income.

Frequently asked questions

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