Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
IEFA vs VUG: how they differ
IEFA and VUG hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and IEFA returned more over the year.
iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF and Vanguard Growth Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, IEFA and VUG hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | IEFA | VUG |
|---|---|---|
| SUNBELT RENTALS HOLDINGS, INC. | 0.13% | 0.06% |
| Only in IEFA | Only in VUG |
|---|---|
| ASML Holding N.V. 2.23% | NVIDIA Corp 12.63% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.25% | Apple Inc 11.67% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 1.17% | Microsoft Corp 7.62% |
| Novartis AG 1.11% | Alphabet Inc 5.76% |
| Nestle S.A. 1.03% | Alphabet Inc 4.54% |
| SHELL PLC 1.03% | Amazon.com Inc 4.47% |
| Siemens Aktiengesellschaft 0.90% | Broadcom Inc 4.29% |
| COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA 0.84% | Meta Platforms Inc 3.41% |
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 Jun 30, 2026.
| IEFA iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | VUG Vanguard Growth Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | Core MSCI EAFE | US growth |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.0% | +12.9% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.5 pts | −4.6 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.07% | 0.03% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.1% | 97.4% |
| Holdings | 2632 | 147 |
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%.
VUG in plain words
VUG is an index equity fund tracking the US growth. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +12.9% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 97% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 147 positions, with the top ten at 60.5%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IEFA or VUG?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEFA returned +18.0% and VUG returned +12.9%, so IEFA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, IEFA or VUG?
- IEFA charges 0.07% a year and VUG charges 0.03%, so VUG is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do IEFA and VUG overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of IEFA and 97% of VUG 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 VUG, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/IEFA-VUG Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
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