Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
EFA vs USMV: how they differ
EFA and USMV hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and EFA returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EFA and USMV hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in EFA | Only in USMV |
|---|---|
| ASML Holding N.V. 2.60% | CISCO SYSTEMS, INC. 1.81% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.47% | NVIDIA CORPORATION 1.64% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 1.36% | EXXON MOBIL CORPORATION 1.60% |
| Novartis AG 1.30% | MICROSOFT CORPORATION 1.56% |
| Nestle S.A. 1.21% | DUKE ENERGY CORPORATION 1.55% |
| SHELL PLC 1.20% | THE SOUTHERN COMPANY 1.53% |
| Siemens Aktiengesellschaft 1.05% | AMPHENOL CORPORATION 1.51% |
| COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA 0.98% | Chubb Limited 1.50% |
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 | USMV iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | Developed markets ex US | MSCI USA Min Vol Factor |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.2% | +6.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.7 pts | −10.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.15% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 94.8% |
| Holdings | 705 | 170 |
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%.
USMV in plain words
USMV is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI USA Min Vol Factor. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +6.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 95% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 170 positions, with the top ten at 15.7%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EFA or USMV?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EFA returned +18.2% and USMV returned +6.6%, so EFA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, EFA or USMV?
- EFA charges 0.32% a year and USMV charges 0.15%, so USMV is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do EFA and USMV overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of EFA and 95% of USMV 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.
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 USMV, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/EFA-USMV Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources