Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
EFA vs VYMI: how they differ
EFA and VYMI hold 8% of their weight in the same names, and VYMI returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and Vanguard International High Dividend Yield Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EFA and VYMI hold 8% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | EFA | VYMI |
|---|---|---|
| Allianz SE | 0.81% | 0.95% |
| UBS Group AG | 0.65% | 0.77% |
| Deutsche Telekom AG | 0.55% | 0.60% |
| GSK PLC | 0.49% | 0.57% |
| Zurich Insurance Group AG | 0.47% | 0.58% |
| AXA SA | 0.37% | 0.42% |
| Muenchener Rueckversicherungs-Gesellscha | 0.36% | 0.43% |
| Nordea Bank Abp | 0.27% | 0.33% |
| Aktiebolaget Volvo | 0.26% | 0.30% |
| Deutsche Post AG | 0.25% | 0.30% |
| E.ON SE | 0.23% | 0.27% |
| Swiss Re AG | 0.22% | 0.26% |
| Only in EFA | Only in VYMI |
|---|---|
| ASML Holding N.V. 2.60% | HSBC Holdings PLC 1.73% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.47% | Novartis AG 1.56% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 1.36% | Nestle SA 1.44% |
| Novartis AG 1.30% | Shell PLC 1.43% |
| Nestle S.A. 1.21% | Royal Bank of Canada 1.38% |
| SHELL PLC 1.20% | Commonwealth Bank of Australia 1.15% |
| Siemens Aktiengesellschaft 1.05% | Toyota Motor Corp 1.12% |
| COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA 0.98% | Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc 1.08% |
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 | VYMI Vanguard International High Dividend Yield Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | Developed markets ex US | International High Dividend Yield |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.2% | +28.2% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.7 pts | +10.7 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.07% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Holdings | 705 | 1582 |
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%.
VYMI in plain words
VYMI is an index equity fund tracking the International High Dividend Yield. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +28.2% 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 1582 positions, with the top ten at 13.5%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EFA or VYMI?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EFA returned +18.2% and VYMI returned +28.2%, so VYMI returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, EFA or VYMI?
- EFA charges 0.32% a year and VYMI charges 0.07%, so VYMI is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do EFA and VYMI overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of EFA and 0% of VYMI by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 8% 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 VYMI, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/EFA-VYMI Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources