ETF Versus

EFA vs IVV

iShares MSCI EAFE ETF vs iShares Core S&P 500 ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

EFA iShares

iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to equities in developed international markets outside the U.S.. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.32%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.29%. Launched in 2001, the fund has a 25-year track record.

AUM: $69.1B ER: 0.32% Yield: 3.29% Since: Aug 14, 2001
IVV iShares

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. equities across growth and value styles. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.23%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $702.1B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.23% Since: May 15, 2000

Quick Verdict

IVV is significantly cheaper at 0.03% vs 0.32% expense ratio, saving you approximately $571 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. EFA has edged ahead over the past year (20.5% vs 16.7%). Income investors may prefer EFA for its higher yield (3.3% vs 1.2%).

Key Metrics

Metric EFA IVV
Expense Ratio 0.32% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 3.3% 1.2%
Fund Family iShares iShares
Category International Developed US Large Cap Blend

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 91 112 133 154 175 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
EFA +26.5%
IVV +61.3%

Performance Comparison

Period EFA IVV Difference
1 Month -4.54% -4.55% +0.01%
3 Months +1.62% -4.10% +5.72%
6 Months +3.71% -2.14% +5.85%
YTD +1.62% -4.10% +5.72%
1 Year +20.48% +16.72% +3.76%
3 Years +36.79% +59.51% -22.72%
5 Years +26.46% +61.35% -34.89%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period EFA Fees IVV Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $631 $60 $571
$10.000 20 years $2.686 $258 $2.427
$10.000 30 years $8.571 $835 $7.736
$50.000 10 years $3.156 $299 $2.857
$50.000 30 years $42.854 $4.176 $38.678
$100.000 30 years $85.707 $8.352 $77.355

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric EFA IVV
Annualized Volatility 16.6% 16.9%
Max Drawdown -32.4% -25.4%
Sharpe Ratio 0.10 0.39

Dividend Comparison

Metric EFA IVV
Annual Dividend (per share) $3.25 $8.06
Dividend Yield 3.29% 1.22%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 9 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

EFA Top Holdings

NameWeight
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML2.54%
AstraZeneca PLC!lon/AZN1.46%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN1.41%
Roche Holding AG!swx/ROP1.36%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA1.36%
Shell plc!lon/SHEL1.31%
Nestlé S.A.!swx/NESN1.22%
Toyota Motor Corporation!tyo/72031.00%
Commonwealth Bank of Australia!asx/CBA0.99%
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.!tyo/83060.95%

IVV Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA7.45%
Apple Inc.AAPL6.68%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT4.85%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN3.56%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO2.61%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG2.34%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META2.10%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA1.86%
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.BRK.B1.57%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IVV if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose EFA if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose EFA if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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