Columbia EM Core ex-China ETF (XCEM) Performance
XCEM total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +23.7% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +29.2% total return
- 5 years
- +10.3% a year
- 10 years
- +10.0% a year
- Since first price
- +11.0% a year since 2015
XCEM trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | XCEM total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −8.7% | −8.7% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −2.4% | −2.4% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +3.5% | +3.5% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +23.7% | +23.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +29.2% | +24.9% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +91.8%+24.2%/yr | +78.3% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +63.3%+10.3%/yr | +45.4% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +159.1%+10.0%/yr | +94.9% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionSep 2, 2015 | +220.7%+11.0%/yr | +135.1% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: XCEM vs SPY
From Sep 2, 2015: XCEM grew to $32,073, SPY to $46,763.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
XCEM returns by calendar year
8 of 10 full years positive. Best 2025 (+34.0%), worst 2022 (−17.6%). 2026 is year to date.
XCEM annual returns table
| Year | XCEM | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +23.7% | −18.2% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +34.0% | −13.2% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +0.4% | −10.0% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +20.0% | −12.0% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −17.6% | −29.5% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +7.9% | −9.1% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +9.5% | −40.3% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +19.7% | −10.1% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −11.3% | −22.0% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +33.4% | −4.2% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | +14.4% | −10.0% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
XCEM largest drawdowns
Now 13.7% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 26, 2018 | −40.9% | Mar 23, 2020 | Dec 2, 2020 | 2.2 years | 2.9 years |
| Jun 4, 2021 | −29.7% | Oct 14, 2022 | Jul 2, 2024 | 1.4 years | 3.1 years |
| Oct 14, 2015 | −21.7% | Jan 20, 2016 | Apr 13, 2016 | 3 months | 6 months |
| Sep 26, 2024 | −18.9% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 10, 2025 | 6 months | 8 months |
| Jun 22, 2026 | −18.2% | Jul 29, 2026 | not yet | 37 days | 4 months so far |
| Feb 25, 2026 | −14.5% | Mar 30, 2026 | Apr 17, 2026 | 33 days | 51 days |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
XCEM risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +26.3% | +12.4% | +11.2% | +12.2% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 19.1% | 19.5% | 19.1% | 19.4% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.09 | 0.52 | 0.54 | 0.59 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.08 | 0.82 | 0.82 | 0.91 |
| Best month | +15.6% | +15.6% | +15.8% | +15.8% |
| Worst month | −10.4% | −12.1% | −21.4% | −21.4% |
| Best 12 months | +70.5% | +70.5% | +70.5% | +70.5% |
| Worst 12 months | −2.5% | −25.7% | −25.7% | −25.7% |
| Positive months | 69% | 63% | 63% | 64% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.97 | 0.90 | 0.90 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.63 | 0.72 | 0.72 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
XCEM rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 122 | −25.7% | +10.4% | +70.5% | 73% |
| 3-year (a year) | 98 | −5.0% | +7.5% | +26.9% | 89% |
| 5-year (a year) | 74 | −0.1% | +7.5% | +14.8% | 99% |
| 10-year (a year) | 14 | +9.0% | +10.9% | +13.1% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2015. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
XCEM performance overview
Columbia EM Core ex-China ETF (XCEM) returned +29.2% over the past year and +10.0% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2015 it has returned +11.0% a year, turning $10,000 into about $32,073. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −40.9%, from Jan 26, 2018 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 8 months to get back to the old high. XCEM finished 8 of its 10 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2025 (+34.0%) and the worst 2022 (−17.6%). Volatility has been 19.4% a year.
Related: XCEM chart, XCEM holdings, XCEM dividends. See the XCEM overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
XCEM performance FAQ
What is the XCEM return over the past year?
XCEM returned +29.2% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 24.9%.
What is the average annual return of XCEM?
XCEM has returned +10.3% a year over 5 years, +10.0% a year over 10 years, +11.0% a year since September 2, 2015 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in XCEM be worth?
$10,000 invested in XCEM at its first recorded close on September 2, 2015 would be worth about $32,073 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for XCEM?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −17.6%. The best was 2025 at +34.0%.
What is the biggest drawdown of XCEM?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −40.9% between January 26, 2018 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on December 2, 2020, 8 months after the bottom.
How volatile is XCEM?
Over the past 3 years XCEM had an annualized volatility of 19.1% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.09 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).