Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
EFA vs EWY: how they differ
EFA and EWY hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and EWY returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and iShares MSCI South Korea ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EFA and EWY hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in EFA | Only in EWY |
|---|---|
| ASML Holding N.V. 2.60% | SK hynix Inc. 31.02% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.47% | SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO.,LTD 3.44% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 1.36% | SK Square Co., Ltd. 3.10% |
| Novartis AG 1.30% | HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY 2.45% |
| Nestle S.A. 1.21% | KB Financial Group Inc. 1.40% |
| SHELL PLC 1.20% | HYUNDAI MOBIS CO.,LTD 1.22% |
| Siemens Aktiengesellschaft 1.05% | DOOSAN ENERBILITY CO., LTD. 1.22% |
| COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA 0.98% | SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD. 1.15% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Apr 30, 2026 and May 31, 2026.
| EFA iShares MSCI EAFE ETF | EWY iShares MSCI South Korea ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | Developed markets ex US | MSCI South Korea |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.2% | +147.9% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.7 pts | +130.4 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.59% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 705 | 82 |
EFA in plain words
EFA is an index equity fund tracking the Developed markets ex US. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +18.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.32% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 705 positions, with the top ten at 13.4%.
EWY in plain words
EWY is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI South Korea. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +147.9% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.59% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 82 positions, with the top ten at 70.0%. It sat 13.9% below its high of Jun 18, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EFA or EWY?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EFA returned +18.2% and EWY returned +147.9%, so EWY returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, EFA or EWY?
- EFA charges 0.32% a year and EWY charges 0.59%, so EFA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do EFA and EWY overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of EFA and 0% of EWY by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, EFA against EWY, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/EFA-EWY Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources