Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
EFA vs MUB: how they differ
EFA and MUB hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and EFA returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and iShares National Muni Bond ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EFA and MUB hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in EFA | Only in MUB |
|---|---|
| ASML Holding N.V. 2.60% | Board of Regents of the University of Te 0.20% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.47% | New York State Thruway Authority 0.16% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 1.36% | New York State Dormitory Authority 0.14% |
| Novartis AG 1.30% | Houston Higher Education Finance Corp. 0.13% |
| Nestle S.A. 1.21% | Northwest Independent School District 0.13% |
| SHELL PLC 1.20% | Ohio State University (The) 0.13% |
| Siemens Aktiengesellschaft 1.05% | State of New Jersey 0.13% |
| COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA 0.98% | State of California 0.13% |
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 | MUB iShares National Muni Bond ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | Developed markets ex US | National Muni Bond |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.2% | +0.1% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.7 pts | −17.4 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.05% |
| Holdings | 705 | 6603 |
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%.
MUB in plain words
MUB is a bond fund tracking the National Muni Bond. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +0.1% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. It sat 3.6% below its high of Jul 6, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EFA or MUB?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EFA returned +18.2% and MUB returned +0.1%, so EFA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, EFA or MUB?
- EFA charges 0.32% a year and MUB charges 0.05%, so MUB is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where to next
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 MUB, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/EFA-MUB Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources