Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
EFA vs IXUS: how they differ
EFA and IXUS hold 50% of their weight in the same names, and IXUS returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EFA and IXUS hold 50% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | EFA | IXUS |
|---|---|---|
| ASML Holding N.V. | 2.60% | 1.32% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC | 1.47% | 0.75% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC | 1.36% | 0.69% |
| Novartis AG | 1.30% | 0.66% |
| Nestle S.A. | 1.21% | 0.61% |
| SHELL PLC | 1.20% | 0.61% |
| Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | 1.05% | 0.53% |
| COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA | 0.98% | 0.50% |
| Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. | 0.94% | 0.48% |
| BHP GROUP LIMITED | 0.93% | 0.47% |
| TOTALENERGIES SE | 0.86% | 0.43% |
| TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 0.84% | 0.43% |
| Only in EFA | Only in IXUS |
|---|---|
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Compa 4.04% | |
| SK hynix Inc. 1.15% | |
| Tencent Holdings Limited 0.91% | |
| Alibaba Group Holding Limited 0.67% | |
| ROYAL BANK OF CANADA 0.59% | |
| THE TORONTO-DOMINION BANK 0.43% | |
| SHOPIFY INC. 0.35% | |
| DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC. 0.33% |
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.
| EFA iShares MSCI EAFE ETF | IXUS iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | Developed markets ex US | Core MSCI Total International Stock |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.2% | +22.2% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.7 pts | +4.7 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.07% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 705 | 4185 |
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%.
IXUS in plain words
IXUS is an index equity fund tracking the Core MSCI Total International Stock. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +22.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% 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 4185 positions, with the top ten at 12.6%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EFA or IXUS?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EFA returned +18.2% and IXUS returned +22.2%, so IXUS returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, EFA or IXUS?
- EFA charges 0.32% a year and IXUS charges 0.07%, so IXUS is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do EFA and IXUS overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of EFA and 0% of IXUS by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 50% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Other comparisons
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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 IXUS, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/EFA-IXUS Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources