Compare/Updated Oct 26, 2026, refreshed every trading day
EFA vs IEFA
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF against iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF: 4 years of returns, risk and today’s technical read, from Kavout’s own data.
IEFA did slightly better overall and is the stronger choice for cost-conscious investors. From October 28, 2022 to October 23, 2026, both turned $1,000 into $1,926, a 92.6% gain, but IEFA led over three years (+67.6% versus +66.4%), one year (+12.5% versus +12.4%), YTD (+8.7% versus +8.6%), and six months (+2.5% versus +2.4%). Its 0.07% expense ratio is substantially below EFA’s 0.32%, while its $188B asset base is larger than EFA’s $76B. Risk was nearly identical: both had 15.8% volatility over the last 12 months, while IEFA’s worst drawdown was slightly smaller at -13.8% versus EFA’s -14.1%. With 0.998 correlation and a typical monthly performance gap of only 0.15 points, the main practical difference is IEFA’s lower cost, not materially different market exposure.
- Price is above its 200-day average ($102); 50-day at $106.
- RSI 41, neutral. Supertrend says sell. ADX 20, so the trend is weak.
- Price is above its 200-day average ($95); 50-day at $98.
- RSI 41, neutral. Supertrend says sell. ADX 18, so the trend is weak.
Head to head
Which has returned more, EFA or IEFA?
EFA beat IEFA in 25 of the last 48 months; IEFA won the other 23. The typical monthly gap was 0.15 points.
Total return by period
Which is riskier?
Both: Mar 19, 2025 to Apr 8, 2025
- 0.998
- correlation of daily moves, 4 years
- 1.00
- EFA move per 1% in IEFA
- 0.998
- correlation, last 12 months
Month by month
Of the last 48 months. The typical gap was 0.15 points.
When did they diverge?
| Month | EFA | IEFA | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2025 | +2.4% | +2.9% | -0.54 pts |
| June 2026 | +0.7% | +0.1% | +0.54 pts |
| February 2025 | +3.0% | +2.5% | +0.50 pts |
| July 2024 | +2.6% | +3.0% | -0.36 pts |
Where the numbers come from. 1000 daily adjusted closes per fund from the Kavout market-data API, dividends included. Signals and indicators are Kavout’s own, refreshed nightly. Every figure is calculated from those adjusted closes.
Holdings and fees
What do you actually own with EFA and IEFA?
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