Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
IEFA vs QQQ: how they differ
IEFA and QQQ hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and QQQ returned more over the year.
iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF and Invesco QQQ Trust.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, IEFA and QQQ hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | IEFA | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| COCA-COLA EUROPACIFIC PARTNERS PLC | 0.08% | 0.18% |
| Only in IEFA | Only in QQQ |
|---|---|
| ASML Holding N.V. 2.23% | NVIDIA Corp. 8.16% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.25% | Apple Inc. 7.29% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 1.17% | Microsoft Corp. 5.32% |
| Novartis AG 1.11% | Micron Technology, Inc. 4.80% |
| Nestle S.A. 1.03% | Amazon.com, Inc. 4.62% |
| SHELL PLC 1.03% | Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. 3.70% |
| Siemens Aktiengesellschaft 0.90% | Alphabet Inc. 3.52% |
| COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA 0.84% | Tesla, Inc. 3.46% |
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.
| IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | QQQ Invesco QQQ Trust | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Invesco |
| What it is | Core MSCI EAFE | Nasdaq-100, book from QQQM |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.0% | +23.0% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.5 pts | +5.5 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.07% | 0.18% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.1% | 96.7% |
| Holdings | 2632 | 101 |
IEFA in plain words
IEFA is an index equity fund tracking the Core MSCI EAFE. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +18.0% 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 2632 positions, with the top ten at 11.5%.
QQQ in plain words
QQQ is an index equity fund tracking the Nasdaq-100. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +23.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.18% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 97% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 101 positions, with the top ten at 47.5%. It sat 4.1% below its high of Jun 2, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IEFA or QQQ?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEFA returned +18.0% and QQQ returned +23.0%, so QQQ returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, IEFA or QQQ?
- IEFA charges 0.07% a year and QQQ charges 0.18%, so IEFA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do IEFA and QQQ overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of IEFA and 97% of QQQ 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, IEFA against QQQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/IEFA-QQQ Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
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